



Public iNFORMATION

NJEDA ENABLING ACT
“New Jersey Economic Development Authority Act,” N.J.S.A. 34:1B-1 et seq (Updated)
NJEDA RULES
NJEDA BY-LAWS
Amended and Restated By-Laws of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
NEW RULES / AMENDMENTS
The public is invited to engage with the NJEDA and comment on the draft Fee Rules amendments by submitting written feedback.
NJEDA is offering this opportunity to provide input in addition to, but not as part of, the formal process for rules adoption.
Thank you for sharing your perspectives.
All input submitted through this website will be reviewed by our staff. NJEDA staff will not respond directly to any input, but we may follow-up with you if we need additional clarification on your feedback.
Please observe the following guidelines when submitting your feedback:
PLEASE DO:
- Reference a specific part of the regulations by section and subsection when providing feedback
- Share your feedback, relevant observations, and additional information.
- Keep remarks brief and to the point.
- Use attachments to share more detailed feedback.
PLEASE DO NOT:
- Include information that you do not want to be made public.
- Submit any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner.
- Submit feedback about topics unrelated to the above specific rules.
We may, at NJEDA’s sole discretion, publish any, all, or a representative sample of input in full or in part.
Do not include any information in your feedback that you do not want to become public. Do not include any personally identifying or contact information if you do not want to be identified. (Providing optional contact information, however, will allow us to follow up with you if clarification is needed.)
We will not accept or agree to a request to keep information confidential.
By submitting material, you grant to the NJEDA the non-exclusive, worldwide, transferable right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material in any way and in any medium, including but not limited to print or electronic form.
Notice(s) of Funding Availability
NJEDA Online Posting of Notices of Funding Availability for Grant Programs, Challenges, and Other Opportunities_12/19/2022
CSIT Online Posting of Notices of Funding Availability for Grant Programs, Challenges, and Other Opportunities_12/19/2022
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (“CSIT”) expects to launch an online application for the Food and Agriculture Research & Development Pilot Seed Grant Program at 9am am on June 5, 2023 at www.njeda.com/csit. Application will be open through July, 14 2023 at 5 pm. The Food and Agriculture Research & Development Pilot Seed Grant Program has a total budget of $750,000 for grant awards of up to $75,000 each. This is a competitive grant. No application, transaction, or termination fees will be collected by CSIT for this program. Decisions on this grant award are expected to be made by 4th Quarter of 2023.
Purpose
The Food and Agriculture Research & Development Pilot Seed Grant Program (“Program”) supports innovation from researchers and entrepreneurs focused on developing technology and other solutions to addressing food insecurity in New Jersey (“NJ”). The Program will engage early-stage innovation-based companies to accelerate research and development of technologies into commercially viable products and services that address food security needs of communities across NJ. The Program seeks to identify and implement ways to increase access to nutritious foods and develop new approaches to alleviate food deserts. The Program supports the development of innovative technologies within the target areas listed below.
The Program is focused on companies conducting research and development or testing technologies in the following target areas:
- Life Sciences (e.g., Next generation crop, soil health, indoor agriculture, and aquaculture)
- Technology (e.g., Digital services and platform development for improved food access, digital services to reduce food waste, digital platform to access emergency food and other services necessary for food security)
- Food and Beverage (Non-retail) (e.g., Improved connection between urban food systems and rural and urban communities to improve food access, increased capacity, and distribution of farm fresh products)
- Transportation and Logistics (e.g., online platform designed to facilitate business-to-business connections with local food systems to address disruptions to the local food supply, innovative food delivery models with reduced carbon footprint)
All applicants for the Program must provide proof of concept for their project proposed for funding.
Overview
The total funding of $750,000 for the Program comes from New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (“NJEDA”) Fiscal Year 2022 (“FY2022”) appropriations for “Food and Agriculture Innovation” via a Memorandum of Understanding between NJEDA and CSIT. The Program will be implemented by CSIT.
The Program will award grants of up to $75,000 to support ten (10) NJ-based early-stage innovation-based companies that have the potential to impact Food and Agriculture outcomes.
Program Details
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with awards going to the highest scoring applicants, provided the minimum score is met.
Applicants can only submit one (1) application for this grant. Multiple applications from the same company will NOT be accepted. If an applicant submits two applications, they must select which application moves forward. Applicants that apply to this Program are not eligible to apply for the Round 2 Catalyst Research and Development Pilot Seed Grant Program
Each grant will be valid for a period of twelve (12) months, effective the from date of the execution of the grant agreement. Any unused approved grant amounts will be cancelled after the twelve (12) month period and returned to the CSIT program budget for future use. An extension for up to an additional three (3) months may be permitted at the discretion of CSIT.
Please note that CSIT grant applicants may adjust and resubmit grant budgets by the Program resubmission deadline if;
- Submitted budget at the time of application exceed the approved grant amount
- Submitted budget at the time of application includes ineligible budgetary items as stated in notice of funding
- Submitted budget at the time of application exceeds the 30% marketing threshold as stated in the notice of funding
- Submitted budget at the time of application does not include printed name of preparer and date
Applications with incorrect budgets that are not revised by the resubmission deadline will be declined.
Eligibility
Each applicant to the Program must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application and maintain eligibility during the entire review period in order to be eligible for an award:
- Be authorized and in good standing to conduct business in NJ as evidenced by a current NJ tax clearance certificate addressed to CSIT. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- Have no more than twenty-five (25) full-time equivalent (“FTE”) workers (FTE calculated on a 35-hour work week) at time of application.
- Have a minimum of one (1) full time worker. A worker may be the founder and may be paid or unpaid.
- 50% or more of the cumulative hours worked by all workers, founders, and contractors must be conducted in NJ (calculated on an FTE basis – 35 hrs. per week).
- Have less than or equal to two million dollars ($2,000,000) in 2022 calendar year sales revenue (excluding grant revenue).
Eligible Uses
The grant funding can be utilized for project research and development activities.
Ineligible Uses
The following expense categories are ineligible for funding by this grant:
- Direct services to individuals or organizations
- Manufacturing of products for sale or commercial use
- Real estate rental expenses
- Patient clinical trial expenses
- Construction costs
- Travel, entertainment, and other similar expenses
- Allocations of general overhead expenses
- Any expenditures incurred before the “Effective date”, the date representing the last date of execution of the grant agreement by the respective parties
- Any expenses for equipment and materials that applicant does not use for the project during the project period
- Fees related to conferences not associated with the project
In addition, no more than 30% of the budget proposed for the Project, in the aggregate, may be spent on:
- Marketing and customer discovery specific to the innovation
- IP patent prosecution and licensing-related expenses
- Conference registration fees
Disbursement of funds
First disbursement will equal 80% of grant award on the effective date of the grant agreement. Second disbursement of 20% after Final Report is submitted.
Application Process
All applications to the Program must include the following documentation:
- Completed online application
- Evidence that proof of concept has been achieved for the project. Submit one of the following:
- Description of the proof-of-concept results
- Published paper outlining results achieved Successful completion of a federal SBIR/STTR grant or contract related to the project
- Documentation from a university tech transfer office if the project relates to technology that has been developed at a university
- Budget and Milestone Proposals (Excel template embedded within online application)
- Employee information as appropriate for applicable company structure and staffing -i.e. most recent NJ WR-30 (W2 employees) or 1099 (contractors), Shareholder Agreement or K-1, or offer letters. Please note that if a Professional Employment Organization (“PEO”) is utilized, the applicant must submit confirmation of PEO-A form issued by the NJ Department of Labor (“DOL”), These confirmations are issued on an annual basis and are valid for a year. See https://www.nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/leasing-companies/ for additional information on PEOs.
- Summary of most recent internal payroll (Q4 2021 or Q1 2022) indicating each employee name and number of hours worked per week.
- Most recent company tax filing: Federal 941 and either an NJ-CBT-100 (Schedule A), Form-1065 or Form -1040 (Schedule C) or whichever is applicable to the organizational form of the business, showing the total Gross Receipts or Sales for the year.
- Current NJ tax clearance certificate addressed to CSIT Tax clearance must be dated May 15, 2023 or after. https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or application will be declined. - If applicable, copy of Women and/or Minority owned business NJ certification https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry/Default/
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded. - If applicable, copy of Veteran owned business NJ certification
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded. - If applicable, a copy of Executed University License Agreement with University. DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded.
- Complete Application Certification
- Completed CSIT Legal Debarment Questionnaire
- For companies with a Dba “doing business as”, we require a Proof of registration for “doing business as”.
The following steps detail the application submission process:
- A document completeness review will be done as applications are received
- Applicants with missing documentation will be notified and given 10 business days to submit missing documents. If the application remains incomplete by the resubmission deadline, it will be declined.
- Only complete applications will be evaluated and scored. Applicants must submit the NJ tax clearance certificate by the start of the application scoring period; otherwise, the application will be declined. For any bonus points category, if the documentation is not received by the application scoring period, bonus points will not be applied.
- Denied applications may appeal CSIT’s declination, provided they do so within the timeframe provided in CSIT’s declination letter. Appeals must be written and include an explanation as to how the applicant has met the all eligibility criteria.
Scoring
An evaluation committee comprised of CSIT and NJEDA staff will review and assign a score to each application, after receiving qualitative input from Subject Matter Experts (“SME”s). As part of the process, all applicants with complete applications will be invited, but are not required, to make a brief presentation about their project and submit it to the evaluation committee and SMEs.
All applicants must achieve a minimum score of 70 in the following criteria to be eligible for a grant.
- Innovation (up to 30 points)
- Market opportunity (up to 10 points)
- Implementation plan – budget and milestones (up to 20 points)
- Go-to-market strategy (up to 10 points)
- Economic and community impact (up to10 points)
- Team (up to 20 points)
Bonus Points – Bonus points will be awarded to applicants that achieve the minimum score and are also:
- A company using technology initially developed at a NJ university, under an executed license agreement with such university (15 points)
- NJ certified women-owned business (10 points)
- NJ certified minority-owned business (10 points)
- NJ certified veteran – owned business (10 points)
- Primary place of business/research & development located within an opportunity zone eligible census tract or government restricted municipality (5 points)
- Has not previously received a CSIT grant or voucher (10 points)
Grants will be awarded to applicants with the highest overall scores, provided the minimum score is met, until program funds are expended.
Board Approval
The CSIT Program Committee will review scored applications and make funding recommendations to the CSIT board. The CSIT Board will make final decision on grant award winners.
No application, transaction, or termination fees will be collected by CSIT for this program.
Additional Information
Other Terms & Conditions
For two years from the date of the grant agreement, workers and consultants who continue working on the project must conduct 50% of their work in a NJ location. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the applicant make full re-payment of the grant award.
All grant awardees must report economic impact data to CSIT upon the completion of the project and an additional two years after project completion by submitting an “Economic Impact Questionnaire” provided by CSIT.
All grant awardees are encouraged to commit to participate in one (1) in-person interim site visits from the CSIT/EDA team for update on project.
All grant awardees are encouraged to commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA alumni activities, such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews about program experience.
Confidentiality
Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of CSIT and NJEDA and SMEs. SMEs will execute NDAs prior to reviewing the application. All applications submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to requests pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted to CSIT must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant as such.
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (“CSIT”) expects to launch an online application for Round 2 Catalyst Research and Development Pilot Seed Grant Program (“Program”) at 9am am on June 5, 2023 at www.njeda.com/csit . Application will be open through July 14, 2023 at 5 pm. The Program has a total budget of $1,500,000 for grant awards of up to $150,000 each. This is a competitive grant. No application, transaction, or termination fees will be collected by CSIT for this program. Decisions on this grant award are expected to be made by 4th Quarter of 2023.
Purpose
The Program helps early-stage innovation-based New Jersey (“NJ”) companies accelerate development of technologies to transform new discoveries from research stage into commercially viable products and services. The grant funds will enable applicants to make significant progress and impact on their commercialization outcomes.
The Program focused on companies conducting research and development or testing technologies in the following target area:
- Life Sciences (e.g., Therapeutic drug discovery). Medical devices are NOT eligible for this grant.
All applicants for the Program must provide a proof of concept for their project proposed for funding.
Overview
The Program has a total budget of $1,500,000will award grants of up to $150,000 to support ten (10) early-stage innovation-based NJ companies that have the potential to impact the Life Science Industry. Total funding for the Program will come from CSIT’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The Program will be implemented by CSIT.
Program Details
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with awards going to the 10 highest scoring applicants, provided the minimum score is met.
Applicants can only submit one (1) application for this grant. Multiple applications from the same company will NOT be accepted. If an applicant submits two applications, they must select which application moves forward. Applicants that apply to the Round 2 Catalyst R&S Pilot Seed Grant Program are not eligible to apply for the CSIT Food and Agriculture Research & Development Pilot Seed Grant Program.
Each approved grant will be valid for a period of twelve (12) months effective from date of the execution of the grant agreement. Any unused approved grant amounts will be cancelled after the twelve (12) month period and returned to CSIT program budget for future use. An extension for up to an additional three (3) months may be permitted at the discretion of CSIT.
Please note that CSIT grant applicants may adjust and resubmit grant budgets by the program resubmission deadline if;
- Submitted budget at the time of application exceed the approved grant amount
- Submitted budget at the time of application includes ineligible budgetary items as stated in notice of funding
- Submitted budget at the time of application exceeds the 30% marketing threshold as stated in the notice of funding
- Submitted budget at the time of application does not include printed name of preparer and date.
Applications with incorrect budgets that are not revised by the resubmission deadline will be declined.
Eligibility
Each applicant to the Program must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application and must maintain eligibility during the entire review period in order to be eligible for an award:
- Be authorized and in good standing to conduct business in NJ as evidenced by a current NJ tax clearance certificate addressed to New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- Have no more than 25 full-time equivalent (“FTE”) workers (FTE calculated on a 35-hour work week) at time of application.
- Have a minimum of one (1) full-time worker (35 – hour work week). A worker may be the founder can be counted as a worker, and a worker may be paid or unpaid.
- 50% or more of the cumulative hours worked by all workers, founders, and contractors must be conducted in NJ (as calculated on an FTE basis of 35 hours per week).
- Have less than or equal to two million dollars ($2,000,000) in 2022 calendar year sales revenue (excluding grant revenue).
Eligible Uses
The grant funding can be utilized for project research and development activities.
Ineligible Uses
The following expense categories are ineligible for funding by this grant:
- Direct services to individuals or organizations
- Manufacturing of products for sale or commercial use
- Real estate rental expenses
- Patient clinical trial expenses
- Construction costs
- Travel, entertainment, and other similar expenses
- Allocations of general overhead expenses
- Any expenditures incurred before the “Effective date”, the date representing the last date of execution of the Grant Agreement by the respective Parties
- Any expenses for equipment and materials that Applicant does not use for the Project during the Project period
- Fees related to Conferences not associated with the Project
In addition, no more than 30% of the budget proposed for the Project, in the aggregate, may be spent on:
• Marketing and customer discovery specific to the innovation
• IP patent prosecution and licensing-related expenses
• Conference registration fees
Disbursement of funds
First disbursement of 80% of grant award at the Execution Date of Grant Agreement. Second disbursement of 20% after Final Report is submitted.
All applications to the Program must include the following documentation:
- Completed online application
- Demonstration evidence that proof of concept has been achieved for the project. Submit one or more of the following:
- Description of the proof-of-concept results
- Published paper outlining results achieved
- Successful completion of a federal SBIR/STTR grant or contract related to the project
- Confirmation documentation from a university tech transfer office if the project relates to technology that has been developed at a university
- Budget and Milestone Proposals (Excel templated embedded within online application)
- Employee information as appropriate for applicable company structure and staffing -i.e. most recent NJ WR-30 (W2 employees) or 1099 (contractors), Shareholder Agreement or K-1, or offer letters. Please note that if a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) is utilized, the applicant must submit confirmation of PEO-A form issued by the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL). These confirmations are issued on an annual basis and are valid for a year. See https://www.nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/leasing-companies/ for additional information on PEOs.
- Summary of most recent Internal Payroll (Q4 2021 or Q1 2022) indicating each employee name and number of hours worked per week.
- Most recent Company tax filing; Federal 941 and either an NJ-CBT-100 (Schedule A), Form-1065 or Form -1040 (Schedule C) or whichever is applicable to the organizational form of your business, showing the total Gross Receipts or Sales for the year.
- Current NJ tax clearance certificate addressed to CSIT (Tax clearance must be dated May 15,2023 or after. https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or application will be declined. - If applicable, copy of Women and/or Minority owned business NJ certification https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry/Default/
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded. - If applicable, copy of Veteran owned business NJ certification
DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded. - If applicable, a copy of Executed University License Agreement with University. DUE No Later Than October 6, 2023 or relevant bonus points will not be awarded.
- Complete Application Certification
- Completed CSIT Legal Debarment Questionnaire
The following steps detail the application submission process:
- A document completeness review will be done as applications are received
- Applicants with missing documentation will be notified and given 10 business days to submit missing documents. If the application remains incomplete by the resubmission deadline, it will be declined.
- Only complete applications will be evaluated and scored. Applicants must submit the NJ tax clearance certificate by the start of the application scoring period. Otherwise, the application will be declined. For any bonus category, if the documentation is not received by the application scoring period, bonus points will not be applied.
- Applicants that have indicated in the application that they are a minority/women/veteran owned business and did not submit the NJ state certification at the time of the application will also have up to the start of the Application Scoring period to submit the document. If the documentation is not received by that point, bonus points will not be applied to the application.
- An evaluation committee comprised of CSIT and NJEDA staff will review and assign a score to each application, after receiving qualitative input from Subject Matter Experts (“SMEs”). As part of the process, all applicants with complete applications will be invited, but are not required, to make a brief presentation about their project and submit it to the evaluation committee and SMEs.
- In order to be eligible for funding, an applicant must receive a minimum score of 70 out of the available 100 points on the standard scoring criteria before allocation of bonus points.
- Denied applications may appeal CSIT’s declination within the timeframe provided in CSIT’s declination letter. Appeals must be written and include an explanation as to how the applicant has met the application criteria.
Grants will be awarded to 10 applicants with the highest overall scores, provided the minimum score is met, until program funds are expended.
Scoring
Scoring Criteria – All applicants must achieve a minimum score of 70 in the following criteria to be eligible for a grant.
- Innovation (up to 30 points)
- Market opportunity (up to 10 points)
- Implementation plan -budget and milestones (up to 20 points)
- Go-to-market strategy (up to 10 points)
- Economic and community impact (up to10 points)
- Team (up to 20 points)
Bonus Points – Bonus points will be awarded to applicants that achieve the minimum score plus the following:
- Company is using technology initially developed at a NJ university, under an executed license agreement with such university (15 points)
- NJ certified women-owned business (10 points)
- NJ certified minority-owned business (10 points)
- NJ certified veteran – owned business (10 points)
- Primary place of business/research & development located within an opportunity zone eligible census tract or government restricted municipality (5 points)
- Has not previously received a CSIT grant or voucher (10 points)
Board Approval
The CSIT Program Committee will review scored applications and make funding recommendations to the CSIT board. The CSIT Board will make final decision on grant award winners.
No fees application, transaction, or termination fees will be collected by CSIT for this program.
Additional Information
Other Terms & Conditions
For three years from the date of the grant Agreement, workers and consultants who continue working on the project must conduct 50% of their work in a NJ location. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the awardee make full re-payment of the grant award.
All grant awardees must report economic impact data to CSIT upon the completion of the project and an additional two years after project completion by submitting an Economic Impact Questionnaire provided by CSIT.
All grant awardees are encouraged to commit to participate in one (1) in-person interim site visits from the CSIT/EDA team for update on project.
All grant awardees are encouraged to commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA alumni activities, such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews about program experience.
Confidentiality
Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of CSIT and NJEDA and SMEs. SMEs will execute NDAs prior to reviewing the applications. All applications submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to requests pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted to CSIT must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant as such.
Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation Program
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications for the Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation Program on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023, at 10:00AM EST. Applications will be accepted during a competitive window and will close on Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 at 5PM EST. A non-refundable application fee of $1,000 is due at time of application for each product. Not-for-profit entities may apply for an undue hardship fee waiver. Undue hardship fee waiver can be demonstrated through the nonprofit’s most recent 990 form if Revenue Less Expenses (line 19) is less than or equal to $500,000 and Net Assets/Fund Balances (line 22) is less than or equal to $1,000,000.
The application can be accessed at Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (ART) Program – NJEDA.
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Purpose:
The Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation Program (“ART Program”) is a competitive grant program that will proactively deploy $10 million in American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFRF) Funds to address the impacts of COVID-19.
Administered by the NJEDA, the ART Program provides a total funding source of $10 million SLFRF funding from two separate funding sources. The funding will be split between two eligible cities, Atlantic City and Newark.
Background:
As outlined by Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget in Brief, and approved by the New Jersey Joint Budget Oversight Committee, five million dollars has been appropriated to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority for projects in Atlantic City. The remaining five million dollars has been appropriated to NJEDA to support projects that mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 in commuter hub cities.
After the transition to a remote workforce in March of 2020, economic support for catalytic developments that increase and retain commuter foot-traffic is essential to support municipalities most impacted by workforce losses due to remote work. The remaining $5 million will be dedicated to one single municipality most impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency on the commuter base. The analysis looked at the municipality with the largest total difference between the residential population and the total daytime population. The City of Newark meets this criterion as per the data collected in 2015 – 2019 U.S. Census American Community Survey and as analyzed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The analysis states that Newark has a total daytime population of 401,712; residential population of 281,054 with a daytime population increase of 120,658. This data shows the largest total daytime population increase of all New Jersey municipalities.
The goal of the ART Program is to partner with local entities to proactively address the negative economic impacts of the pandemic by investing in projects that create the environment necessary to attract and retain residents and talent, enable business creation and attractions, enhance downtown vitality, and help local governments avoid future budget crises.
Funding:
The approved purpose of the ART Program’s SLFRF funds is Revenue Replacement (Category 6) in accordance with U.S. Treasury’s Final Rule.
This pilot program will support two products for both cities, Atlantic City and Newark: (1) Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development and (2) Public Space Activation. Funding can be fungible between the two products based on demand of each product. The minimum award request for both the Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development product and the Public Space Activation product is $250,000. The maximum award for the Real Estate Rehabilitation product is $3,500,000 and the maximum award for the Public Space product is $1,500,000. All applicants that receive ART Program funding are required to submit quarterly reports to demonstrate compliance to NJEDA.
Pursuant to federal program guidelines, all ART funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and must be expended by December 31, 2026.
Two ART Program Products:
Product 1) – Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development
Under the ART Program’s Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development grant product, up to seventy percent (70%) of total program funding (approximately $3.5 M in each municipality) will support project-specific hard and soft costs that revitalize commercial corridors and incentivize catalytic development.
Product 2) – Public Space Activation
Under the ART Program’s Public Space Activation grant product, thirty percent (30%) of total program funding (approximately $1.5 million in each municipality) can support the creation of public space activation initiatives.
Eligibility
In order for projects to be eligible for ART Program funding, all proposals must demonstrate how the proposed expenditure will mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in either Newark or Atlantic City. As part of the application, each project will be required to submit a narrative explicitly stating the harm that the proposed project will address, and how this expenditure will increase the economic resiliency and vitality of the commercial corridor as we transition from pandemic to endemic. All applicants must certify at time of application of their existing project costs and their financial need.
Projects must be located in either Atlantic City or Newark and within eligible areas within each city.
- Atlantic City- Atlantic City projects in commercial corridor is defined as a project located in the boundaries of the City of Atlantic City that is within 1 ½ (1.5) miles radius of an active NJ Transit rail station,
- Newark- Newark projects in a commercial corridor is defined as a project located in the boundaries of the City of Newark that is within 1½ (1.5) miles radius of an active NJ Transit rail station
Entities are eligible to apply for one or both programs.
Municipalities and government entities are not eligible to apply for either.
All applicants must certify at time of application to their existing project costs and their financial need.
Eligible Project Activities:
In order to be eligible for ART funding, all capital construction projects must have a total cost of less than $10M. These projects can include:
- Renovation or restoration of vacant buildings, or square feet of vacant space within a partially occupied building.
- New construction of at least 10,000 square feet on an existing vacant lot.
- Acquisition costs.
- Eligible projects can include mixed- used construction.
Ineligible activities include:
- Demolition of a structure to create a vacant lot for future development.
- Projects that are 100% residential construction.
Product (2) – Public Space Activation Product Eligibility:
Eligible Applicants:
Nonprofit organizations with a 501c(3) or 501c(19) status including but not limited to, Economic Development Corporations, Community Development Corporations, Nonprofit Economic Development or Redevelopment Agencies, Business Improvement Districts and City Improvement Districts and Art Organizations.
Eligible Project Activities:
Funding is expected to support the creation of public space activation initiatives, such as:
- Placemaking projects, public art installations, signage, and streetscape improvements Activation of public spaces through events
- Operating costs for arts organizations
- Master/subleases for programmatic use (including incubator space, small business support, and events) in mixed use and commercial properties only
Project Considerations:
Competitive projects for both Product (1) and (2) will clearly address the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency by responding to the following considerations:
- COVID Impact: Applicants must address how the proposal is responsive to the negative public health and/or economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and complies with all the SLFRF requirements.
- Locations: Projects must be located in Atlantic City or Newark. All projects must support commercial corridors and be located in urban areas with mass transit.
- Capacity: The applicant must have experience implementing a project of a similar scope.
- Long-term impacts: Competitive applicants must articulate via the application process how the proposal will have a positive long-term impact in the community.
This may include certain factors like renovating a facility to support small businesses, including how it will enable growth in population and tax revenue.
- Financial Viability: Must demonstrate long-term financial viability of the project and a time period for project completion through the submission of a pro forma.
- Local impact considerations: A project must demonstrate how it supports the goals and visions stated (if available) in either a local master plan, downtown or neighborhood plan, capital improvements plan and/or economic development strategy, along with the readiness of infrastructure.
- U.S. Treasury reporting: Ability to provide the U.S. Department of the Treasury with relevant reporting for all project expenditures exceeding $1 million, specifically, all proposals must provide a narrative on how the project will address the impacts of COVID-19 in either Atlantic City or Newark, and why this capital expenditure is the most appropriate to address the economic harms caused by COVID.
Scoring:
NJEDA is seeking 3 applications to evaluate. However, the Authority reserves the right to approve one grant award. All successful applicants must follow a uniform disbursement schedule. Applicants are required to submit progress reports in order to receive grant disbursements. At a minimum, the progress reports must include:
- Summary of funds expended to date:
- Narrative detailing milestones achieved and overall progress toward completion of final plan; and
- Proof of State regulatory compliance for Prevailing Wage pursuant to N.J.A.C. 19:30-4.2 and Affirmative Action pursuant to N.J.A.C. 19:30-3.3.
Grants will be scored on a scale of 0-100 points, with award recommendations limited to applications that meet or exceed the minimum score requirement of 65 points. Applications will be evaluated and scored on each of the criteria found in Exhibit B.
Grant award recommendations will be made based on the highest scored applications received after the competitive application window closes. Awards will be recommended in order until the funding pool is fully utilized.
NJEDA staff will make up a scoring committee to score each complete application for each product. Staff will recommend applicants for approval to the Board based upon scoring that can be fully funded based on the applicant’s Funding Request Certification and staff’s review.
If the next ranked applicant (that scored above the minimum score) cannot be fully funded, NJEDA staff will notify that applicant of the available amount that can be awarded. The applicant will have 15 business days from the date of the notice to accept the amount of the grant and to provide proof of an additional funding to ensure the project can still be completed by using a letter of intent, commitment letter, bank statements, or any other means. If the applicant decides not to accept the amount available or does not identify additional funding to complete the project, the application will be incomplete and deemed withdrawn by NJEDA. The application may also be denied if the additional funding does not meet the product requirement for such funding. If no award is given to that applicant, NJEDA will proceed with the same process to the next highest scored application (above the minimum score). Throughout this process, the applicant will not be allowed to change its project, as that would impact scoring.
The full scoring criteria and available points can be viewed here: https://www.njeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ART-Scoring-Specifications.pdf
Grant Disbursements
NJEDA will disburse grants only to applicant. Applicant shall be responsible for assuring the compliance of any strategic partners and/or subcontractors with all terms and conditions of the application. The applicant assumes the sole and absolute responsibility for any payments due to any municipal, county, or strategic partners.
Under the Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development program, applicants will receive one disbursement of 50% of the total award amount upon 50% of project completion as demonstrated through their contract documents such as their AIA (American Institute of Architects) documents. Second disbursement will occur when the applicant can provide a Certificate of Occupancy and proof of completion.
Under the Public Space Activation Program, the Applicant will receive the full grant amount upon execution of the grant agreement, and then will be required to submit quarterly reporting until project completion. NJEDA will provide the applicant with the report, and they will complete the required documentation indicating proper use of funds.
Application Process:
The ART Program will be a competitive grant program accepting applications during a 60-business day window. Applicants may apply for both products at the same time if their project is eligible.
The Authority will perform a review of applications after the closing of the application period for completeness. Applicants will be given five business days to cure any deficiencies. If the applicant is non-responsive, then at the end of the five-day period, the applications will be deemed withdrawn. At the sole discretion of the Authority, staff may ask for clarification of the application information, including but not limited to responses, documentation, and attachments. Once an application is deemed complete, it will be reviewed for eligibility.
Fees:
NJEDA will charge applicants the following fees:
- NJEDA will charge a non-refundable application fee of $1,000 to all entities applying for funding through the Real Estate Rehabilitation and Development product, and $1,000 to all entities applying for funding through the Public Space Activation product.
- Not-for-profit entities may apply for an undue hardship fee waiver at time of application. Fee waivers for Undue hardship can be demonstrated through the nonprofit’s most recent 990 form if Revenue Less Expenses (line 19) is less than or equal to $500,000 and Net Assets/Fund Balances (line 22) is less than or equal to $1,000,000.
Additional information on ART may be found at Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (ART) Program – NJEDA.
Questions concerning this Notice of Funding Availability should be submitted via email to ART@njeda.gov.
Film & Digital Media Studio Infrastructure Program (“Program”) – Pilot Grant Program
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications for the Program on May 18, 2023 at 10:00am. The application can be accessed at: Film & Digital Media Studio Infrastructure Program – NJEDA. Applications for this program will be available for ninety days after the launch of the online application. Applications must be submitted by August 16, 2023 at 5:00 pm. The Program will make use of $9,500,000 for infrastructure improvements and sitework in support of the development of a film or digital media studio production facility. This is a competitive application process and following the closure of the application period, applications will be evaluated for completeness and eligibility and then scored by a committee of NJEDA staff. The highest scoring applications will be presented to the NJEDA Board for approval.
Purpose
The Program is established to fund infrastructure improvements and sitework in support of the development of a film or digital media studio production facility. The Program is established to stimulate economic growth and enhance the State’s long-term economic competitiveness by supporting and encouraging strategic economic development investments in the designated Film & Digital Media industry target sector. The Program will provide a minimum grant of $50,000 and a maximum grant of $4,750,000 per approved project.
Overview
Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Act (“Act”) allocates significant State funding for numerous strategic economic development investments to support key industries, advance the innovation economy, continue to bolster recovery, and spur statewide growth. These strategic investments include $15 million for a Film Industry Strategic Support Fund to grow and strengthen the state’s film and digital media industry, including attracting film studio production facilities to the state and expanding job opportunities.
Program Details
The Program is a competitive grant program that will proactively deploy $9.5 million to fund infrastructure improvements and sitework (“Project”) in support of the development of a film or digital media studio production facility.
The Program will provide funding to eligible applicants as described below that are undertaking eligible Projects that support the development of a film or digital media studio production facility.
Eligibility
The Program will provide a minimum grant of $50,000 and a maximum grant of $4,750,000 per approved project to the below eligible applicants that are undertaking infrastructure improvements or sitework to support the development of a film or digital media studio production facility (collectively defined as “Applicants”):
- Municipalities,
- Municipal entities,
- Counties,
- County entities, and/or
- State instrumentalities.
Eligible Projects are limited to infrastructure improvements and sitework in support of the development of a film or digital media studio production facility; such infrastructure improvements may include but are not limited to the following:
- Roadwork or transportation improvements
- Water and/or sewer lines/service
- Gas lines/service
- Telecommunications
- High speed broadband
- Electrical utility lines/grid/supply
- Accessibility and safety improvements (i.e. sidewalks, fire hydrants)
- Site remediation or site work on government owned property
All Projects shall be subject to prevailing wage law and compliance with other labor standards requirements.
Additional applicant requirements:
- Must be in substantial good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at the time of application. A current tax clearance certificate must be provided prior to approval to demonstrate the applicant is in substantial good standing with the NJ Division of Taxation unless the applicant is not required to register with the Division of Taxation.
Application Submission and Review Process
Applications submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted or reviewed.
To apply, an applicant must register or log into the online application portal, complete all required application questions fully, and upload all required PDF document attachments including the following:
- Project overview and description;
- Letter from the studio production facility confirming studio plans to build/expand studio production facility (indicate sf size) on the site with an estimated number of full-time equivalent jobs when operational, and that the proposed infrastructure improvements in Applicant’s proposal are being undertaken in support of the studio production facility;
- Project budget (Sources & Uses line-item detail) including evidence of additional financing if applicable per Project budget;
- Project development timeline;
- Experience and capacity of the applicant (and contractors/consultants if applicable) to implement Project within Project development timeline; and
- Narrative and/or documentation regarding Small, Women, Minority, Veteran Business Enterprises (“SWMVBE”) participation, if applicable
After the close of the application period, EDA staff will review all applications for completeness and will respond to the applicant(s) to request any necessary clarifications to the application(s). Applicants will be given ten business days to cure any deficiencies, or the application will be withdrawn.
Applications deemed complete will be reviewed and scored by NJEDA evaluation scoring committee. Applications will be scored on a scale of 0 – 100 points, with award recommendations limited to applications that meet or exceed the minimum score requirement of 65 points.
Scoring factors and points will include:
Applicant readiness to proceed | (up to 35 pts) |
Project merits (community and regional economic impact and benefits of the proposed project as catalyst for and connection to local development) | (up to 35 pts) |
Project Feasibility | (up to 15 pts) |
Applicant (and contractor/consultant) experience & capacity | (up to 10 pts) |
SWMVBE participation | (up to 5 pts) |
Applications that meet the minimum score requirement of 65 out of a possible 100 points will initially be separated into two groups –
- applications in support of a Film or Digital Media Studio production facility in excess of 250,000 square feet, and
- applications in support of a Film or Digital Media Studio production facility less than 250,000 square feet
Provided that one or more applications are submitted in each group that meet or exceed the minimum score requirement of 65 points, the highest ranked application from each group shall be recommended to the Board for approval. Following this step, all remaining applications will be merged into a single group and recommended to the Board for award approval starting with the highest scored application until all Program funding is awarded.
If an applicant requests grant funding for an eligible Project but there are not sufficient Program funds available to fund the full grant request, NJEDA would inform the applicant of the amount of grant funds available. If the applicant wishes to proceed, the applicant would be required to fund the difference to fill the gap to ensure the submitted Project proposal is undertaken as described.
If all Program funds are not awarded during the initial application period, then applications will be reopened on a rolling basis with applications that meet the minimum score being recommended for award based on the order in which completed and eligible applications are received.
All eligible applications will proceed to the Board for approvals, and all applications which have not been declined due to non-discretionary reasons will also proceed to the Board.
Funding Disbursements
NJEDA will disburse grants only to the applicant. The applicant shall be responsible for assuring the compliance of the project with all terms and conditions of the application and the Program funding requirements.
Once a Project is approved for funding, NJEDA will enter into a grant agreement with the applicant detailing the Project to be funded, eligible Project costs, the amount of grant funding, and all financial programmatic requirements.
The grant funds will be disbursed either incrementally as eligible Project expenses are incurred and prorated with other funding sources if applicable with the NJEDA’s standard construction retainage withheld until Project completion, or grant funds may be disbursed in coordination with the other funder’s disbursement process if applicable.
Funding disbursement requests must be evidenced by documentation supporting that the expenses were incurred, work has been performed in accordance with prevailing wage and labor standards compliance requirements, and work was done consistent with project approval and eligible uses of program funding.
If the approved Film or Digital Media Studio Infrastructure Project has not been completed and the supported studio production facility has been terminated (for example, applicable redevelopment agreement is terminated, site plan approvals are denied or expire), the Applicant will no longer be eligible for any remaining unused grant funds.
Final payment of grant funds will be made upon the NJEDA’s inspection of completed Project and receipt of certificate of completion.
Grant Amounts
The minimum amount of grant funding is $50,000 and the maximum amount of grant funding is $4,750,000 to any one Project. Grant funding may fund 100% of an approved Project’s costs.
Fees
A fee of $1,000 is due at time of application submission.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Film & Digital Media Studio Infrastructure Program is available at Film & Digital Media Studio Infrastructure Program – NJEDA
Food Retail Innovation in Delivery Grant (“FRIDG”)
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications for the Food Retail Innovation in Delivery Grant (“FRIDG”) on April 25, 2023 at 10:00 AM. Applications for this pilot program will be available for 18 months after the opening of the application or until the total funding pool is exhausted. The application can be accessed at: https://www.njeda.gov/fridg/. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed as they are received. FRIDG will make up to $2,500,000 available for grants up to $250,000 for the purchase of self-contained, temperature-controlled lockers (“Lockers”) that allow for flexible grocery delivery and pick-up for New Jersey Food Desert Community (“FDC”) residents. There is a $1,000 non-refundable application fee required at time of application.
Purpose
FRIDG will make grants of up to $250,000 available to the below eligible entities (collectively defined as “Food Retailers”):
- Independent supermarkets
- Independent supermarket operators
- Cooperative retailers
- Chain supermarkets
- Mass merchandisers
- Warehouse clubs
Grants will support Food Retailers to purchase Lockers that allow for flexible grocery delivery and pick-up and install them in FDCs. The objectives of FRIDG are to:
- Increase the availability of high-quality nutritional food in FDCs.
- Encourage retailers to adopt new business models that can help sustain their business.
Note: This program is not open to Food Retailers without a physical retail location in New Jersey nor to Food Retailers not authorized to accept SNAP for online purchases.
Overview
This funding opportunity is issued as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s commitment to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey by investing in communities and to improve food access and food security for all Garden State residents. FRIDG is one tool that NJEDA will offer as an alternative to FDC residents who often must travel long distances or take multiple forms of transit to access groceries outside their community and leverages existing retailers’ capacity to bring food into FDCs while increasing the reach and potential customer base for the retailer. The grant program will fund the purchase of Lockers to improve and increase food access and food security in the FDCs. Lockers represent an innovative solution to give FDC residents the ability to order online and have groceries delivered to a convenient central location without having to travel long distances to reach Food Retailers, as many FDC residents without a nearby grocer are currently forced to do. Under the model proposed under FRIDG, FDC residents will be able to avail themselves of this new and innovative solution to the last mile of grocery delivery. The Authority will use $2,500,000 from the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Act for FRIDG.
Program Details
FRIDG grants will cover 30% to 50% of the aggregated cost of eligible Locker (including the cost of equipment, delivery, and installation), up to a maximum award amount of $250,000.
FRIDG is intended to cover costs for prospective purchases. Existing projects with executed contracts, placed purchase orders, or a deposit made prior to submission of an application is not eligible for FRIDG funding. Grant awards will start at 30% of total project costs, with the ability to stack on bonuses to cover more of the costs for applicants that meet the criteria; however, no grant may exceed 50% of the total project cost or a maximum $250,000.
Applicants are limited to purchases of Lockers that allow for flexible grocery delivery and pick-up. As part of the application, applicants must specify the location site of the proposed Locker within an NJEDA-designated FDC. Applicants are responsible for ongoing operation and maintenance costs related to the Locker
Bonuses are available to applicants proposing to place a Locker in a top 10 FDC[1], place a Locker on-site at a social service organization, or to waive delivery fees for deliveries made to the Locker, either for all purchases or those placed by individuals utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits online.
Program Eligibility
The applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of submission and throughout the application review period:
- Food Retailers authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture Federal Nutrition Service (“USDA FNS”) to accept SNAP benefits (formerly referred to as ‘food stamps’) for online ordering[2].
- Applicants must be a type of Food Retailer as defined below:
- Independent supermarkets (single location with a single owner)
- Independent supermarket operators (single location working with a third-party supplier or franchisor)
- Cooperative retailers (member of a cooperative with similar supermarket owners)
- Chain supermarkets (ten or more supermarkets owned by a single corporate entity)
- Mass merchandisers (large retailers which operate full-service supermarkets within its retail locations)
- Warehouse clubs (large retailers where customers can buy large quantities wholesale)
3. All applicants must have a physical retail location in New Jersey and service and delivery to any Locker located in an FDC. However, orders may be serviced from a non-retail location such as a distribution center.
4. Applicants must be in substantial good standing with the following New Jersey Departments:
- Division of Taxation, as evidenced by a Tax Clearance Certificate
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“NJDOL”)
5. Applicants must commit to place and make deliveries to any locker purchased through FRIDG in an NJEDA- designated FDC[3] in an area that is accessible to the public in an FDC for a minimum of 12 hours per day, seven days per week.
Additionally, Lockers purchased through FRIDG must meet the following minimum criteria:
- A temperature span of at least two settings
- An integrative system that sends a special code to the user once the order is delivered, where notification is via text, email or app push
- The ability to be placed outside and withstand the elements
- A minimum of 4 lockers that automatically open when the person inputs their code
- Modular systems so more lockers can be added as necessary
- Mechanisms to ensure food safety, freshness and contamination prevention
- Security features to prevent theft
Construction contracts of $2,000 or more that include installation are subject to Authority prevailing wage and affirmative action requirements and reporting and must be conducted by a Public Works Contractor registered with NJDOL.
Bonus Eligibility
FRIDG will award bonuses to applicants for the following:
Stackable 5% Bonus Available for:
- Locker located within an FDC ranked within the top ten (10) statewide[4]
- Proof of a partnership contract or agreement with a social service organization (e.g., food pantry, soup kitchen, community center, library) to locate Locker on-site with the organization in a manner that is accessible to the public and in a location where community members may already access services
- Commitment to waive delivery fees for SNAP online purchases for deliveries made to the Locker purchased through FRIDG
Stackable 10% Bonus Available for:
- Applicant commits to waive delivery fees for all deliveries made to the Locker purchased through FRIDG, regardless of payment type
Fees
A non-refundable fee of $1,000 is due at the time of application.
Funding Levels
Grant awards will start at 30% of total project costs, with the ability to stack on bonuses to cover more of the costs for applicants that meet the following criteria, where no grant can exceed 50% of the total project costs or $250,000, whichever is the lesser of the two.
One single disbursement will be issued when proof of equipment delivery and installation is provided. All disbursements are subject to availability of funding
Application Process
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed as they are received. After initial review, NJEDA staff may follow up with applicants for missing documents, clarity or additional documentation if needed. Applicants will have up to 10 business days to respond to requests by staff for documentation and clarifying questions, or risk being deemed withdrawn as incomplete or unresponsiveness.
As part of the application, Food Retailers will be required to identify the FDC location for the proposed Locker. Food retailers can submit only one application per FDC. However, Food retailers may submit more than one application if they wish to apply for purchasing multiple Lockers purchases across multiple FDCs. There will be a limit of 1 grant award per FDC awarded to the first completed application that meets all eligibility requirements. However, if there is still funding available after the application is closed, the Authority may approve additional applications received prior to the application closing within an already funded FDC. No single grant award may exceed $250,000.
At the time of application, applicants are required to submit a purchase quote, order pro forma, equipment listing, or other document from a vendor indicating the total project cost, which should include equipment, delivery and installation. Applicants will also have to provide evidence of agreement with the property owner or tenant for the placement of the locker. Any executed contract, purchase order dated prior to application date, or deposit made prior to application for the purchase of the Locker is not eligible and will be declined.
The Authority will notify an approved applicant of the amount of funding committed to approved applicants and enter into an agreement prior to equipment purchase. The awardee will have 12 months from the date of grant execution for the delivery and installation of the equipment, with the option for up to two 6-month extensions at the request of the grantee and at the discretion of the Authority. The Authority will make one single award disbursement when proof of equipment delivery and installation is provided, along with any necessary permits or agreements for siting the Locker in its designated location within the FDC.
Applicants will be required to provide annual reporting updates to the Authority with supporting documentation on the following information for three (3) years from the date of award disbursement:
- Confirmation of Locker location
- Number of deliveries made to Locker
- Percentage of deliveries to locker that were paid using SNAP
- If a grantee receives one or more of the above bonuses:
- As applicable, status of partnership with social service organization
- As applicable, number of delivery fees waived for individuals paying with SNAP
- As applicable, number of delivery fees waived for all payment types
Additional Information
FRIDG is not a competitive program; each application will be reviewed on its own.
Comprehensive information on Food Desert Community Designation is available here.
Comprehensive information about the Food Retail Innovation in Delivery Grant is available here.
[1] FDC ranking available at https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Food-Desert-Communities-Designation-Final-2-9-22.pdf
[2] List of USDA FNS online SNAP authorized retailers in New Jersey can be found through the NJ Department of Human Services at NJ SNAP | Using Your Benefits
[3] Map of NJEDA-designated FDCs available at New Jersey Food Deserts as approved by the NJEDA on 2/9/2022 (arcgis.com)
[4] FDC ranking available at https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Food-Desert-Communities-Designation-Final-2-9-22.pdf
Cannabis Equity Grant Program: Joint Ventures
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications for the Cannabis Equity Grant Program-Joint Ventures product at 9:00 a.m. EST on April 20, 2023.The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/cannabis. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first reviewed basis during a 180-day period starting on April 20, 2023, or until grant funding is exhausted. $6,000,000 has been allocated for the Cannabis Equity Grant Program – Joint Ventures product. Grant awards of $250,000 will be made to support cannabis entrepreneurship in New Jersey.
Purpose
The Cannabis Equity Grant Program-Joint Ventures Grant (“Joint Ventures Grant”) product has an award pool of $6,000,000 and will provide grant awards of $250,000 to eligible entities for start-up expenses and operational costs related directly to cannabis businesses that qualify under the grant’s eligibility criteria.
Overview
On July 19, 2019, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (“NJ CRC”) was formed to establish and grow a responsible, regulated medicinal cannabis industry. On February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed the “New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement, Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act” (“CREAMM Act”), which legalizes personal use cannabis for certain adults, subject to regulation by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission and removes marijuana as a State Schedule I drug, into law as P.L. 2021, c. 16. In June 2022, the Governor signed legislation to allow the Authority to award financial incentives for the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to a prospective or licensed cannabis business that qualifies as a small business under the statute. See P.L. 2022, c. 48. The legislation requires either that (1) a portion of program funds made available be reserved for businesses operating within an Impact Zone, as defined in the CREAMM Act or (2) the program include funds from the Social Equity Excise Fee and such funding be limited to businesses operating within an Impact Zone. As none of the current program funding is from the Social Equity Excise Fee, staff proposes to ensure that a minimum of 5% of all available funds will be reserved for grantees whose project location is in an Impact Zone.
In June 2021, the Governor signed into law P.L. 2021, c.115, which provided a $25 million supplemental SFY2021 appropriation to the Authority to establish the Startup Business and Nonprofit Assistance Program (“Chapter 115”). Chapter 115 authorized the Authority to provide grants to support the creation and development of new businesses and nonprofit organizations following the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation requires the Authority to: (1) establish eligibility criteria for the program, provided that grants shall be made available to eligible new businesses and nonprofit organizations located in all areas of the State; (2) provide for rolling application periods and appropriate application submission deadlines; (3) designate limitations on the maximum award of grants, which limitations shall be sufficiently high so as to meaningfully support the creation and development of new businesses and nonprofit organizations; (4) designate permitted uses of grant financing, which uses shall be reasonably flexible to accommodate unanticipated startup expenses; and (5) establish criteria for the approval of program applicants consistent with Chapter 115. Additionally, Chapter 115 requires the Authority to “prioritize new businesses and nonprofit organizations that physically occupy commercial properties, including retail storefronts, that have become vacant or under-utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Joint Ventures Grant product targets businesses that are farther along in the licensing process and have carrying costs and capital issues associated with opening their cannabis business. These applicants must have secured site control over their property and municipal approvals to operate and open a physical location within a New Jersey municipality. An award pool of $6,000,000 will be distributed to all applicants that meet or exceed the grant eligibility requirements until funds are exhausted. Grantees will be required to prove they have a conditional or annual license, have obtained site control over their real estate, and have obtained all municipal approvals to open a cannabis business in their New Jersey municipality. 40% of slots will be reserved for social equity applicants. Grantees will be eligible for a grant award of $250,000. The grant will be disbursed incrementally based on the grantee’s ability to meet certain milestones. In total, two disbursements will be available to the grantee.
- An initial disbursement of $100,000 will be distributed upon grant approval and:
- Verification that the grant awardee has a NJ CRC issued conditional or annual license.
- Demonstrates site control over the property they will use to start their cannabis business.
- Obtained municipal approvals to operate and open a physical location within a New Jersey municipality; and
- Provide receipts proving the entity has spent $100,000 on eligible expenses or a spending plan or budget showing projected spending of at least $100,000 in eligible expenses.
- The final disbursement of $150,000 will be made upon the grantee obtaining a NJ CRC issued annual license. Grantees must provide evidence that they have spent the previous disbursement on eligible expenses in order to be eligible for the final disbursement.
Eligibility
Grant eligibility is limited to entities who can demonstrate following:
- Entity holds a NJ CRC conditional or annual license, in any class, for recreational use. Alternative Treatment Centers certified to operate in adult personal-use market are not eligible for this grant.
- In accordance with Chapter 115, the entity has 50 or fewer full time employees at the time of application, as evidenced through a payroll documentation WR30 or other valid documentation.
- “Full-time employee” means a person:
- Who is employed by a business for consideration for at least 35 hours a week and whose wages are subject to withholding as provided in the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq.; or
- Who is employed by a professional employer organization pursuant to an employee leasing agreement between the business and the professional employer organization for at least 35 hours a week and whose wages are subject to withholding as provided in the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq.; or
- Who is a partner of a business who works for the partnership for at least 35 hours a week and whose distributive share of income, gain, loss, or deduction, or whose guaranteed payments, or any combination thereof, is subject to the payment of estimated taxes, as provided in the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq.; or
- Who is a resident of another state and would be eligible under subsections a, b, or c above, but whose income is not subject to the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq., due to a reciprocity agreement with the other state.
- “Full-time employee” shall not include any person who works for the business as an independent contractor or on a consulting basis.
- “Full-time employee” means a person:
- Entity is in good standing with the NJ CRC, Division of Taxation as evidenced by a valid tax clearance certificate, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, at the time of application.
- In accordance with Chapter 115, entity has documents of incorporation (or other formation documents) showing the entity commenced operations after the issuance of Executive Order No. 103 of 2020 (March 9, 2020).
- Owner or owners of 51% or more of the entity have established:
- One non-home-based retail, personal services, or manufacturing businesses in any US state or territory; or
- Has two (2) or more years of experience as an owner, manager, executive or supervisor of a retail, agricultural, personal services, or manufacturing business.
- Owner or owners of 51% or more of the entity have enrolled and completed one of the following:
- A professional cannabis education course (course or courses in cannabis business, cannabis law, cannabis operations, cannabis plant science/plant cultivation or economics of cannabis) offered by an accredited higher education institution, state or local government, or private provider with at least two years operations and a minimum of 200 program graduates verifiable by the institution, enrolled and completed a small business entrepreneurship training course; or
- Completed six college credits in business, management, finance, economics, accounting, agricultural sciences, logistics/supply chain management or marketing: or
- Has three (3) or more years of as an owner, manager, executive or supervisor of a retail, agricultural, personal services such as intellectual or technical or manual services that require advanced knowledge, skills and/or training to deliver a service to an individual or business, or manufacturing business.
- Entity has secured municipal approval. Municipal approval is defined as the following:
- Resolution adopted by the municipality’s governing body or, where a municipality has no governing body, a written letter of support from the municipality’s executive; and
- All land use/planning/zoning approvals required from the municipality.
- Entity has secured site control, proven by documentation showing control by the applying entity of real property in a New Jersey municipality to be used for the operation of a licensed New Jersey recreational cannabis facility as listed in the application.
- Documentation demonstrating site control may include but is not limited to property deeds, leases, tax records, mortgages, and executed bills of sale and Binding Letters of Intent (“BLOI”) . BLOIs may be submitted as proof of site control with the entity’s approval for an NJ CRC annual recreational license. Only annual licensees are eligible to present BLOIs. Upon grant approval, the entity will have a time period of 30 calendar days to execute their lease to maintain their grant eligibility. Extensions will not be granted.
Eligible Uses
The grant is designed to support start-up expenses and operational costs for cannabis businesses during early-stage operation. Eligible uses may include but are not limited to:
- Rental expenses – evidenced by a fully executed lease. Thirty-six lease payments may be covered after date that conditional license has been awarded.
- Payroll and Independent Contractor Payments as evidenced by a payroll report, WR30, or equivalent payroll documentation and payment documentation for 1099 contractors.
- Regulatory Compliance expenses such as those (1) expenses related to all professional and advisory services required to document, analyze, complete and file a New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission application and (2) expenses related to all professional and advisory services required to comply with any and all regulations, rules, controls, statutes and any other requirements related to the legal operation of a NJ cannabis licensee.
- Legal expenses associated with the business
- Employee training
- Professional Services – including but not limited to accounting, human resources, business planning, transportation, security, marketing, website creation, lab services and any other outside services that may be needed to operate cannabis business or obtain any license or authorization to operate from the NJ CRC.
- Utilities and overhead fees
- Commercial mortgage payments
- Business supplies
- Business equipment under $2,000
Funds may not be used for:
- Controlled inventory
- Construction
- Equipment and installation costing greater than $2,000
- Purchase of land
- Demolition of an existing structure
- Rolling stock
All uses and documentation are subject to NJEDA review and approval. All receipts and/or invoices submitted must be dated after March 9, 2020.
Grant Amounts
The “Joint Ventures Grant” product will award grants in the amount of $250,000 per grantee. There is a limit of one grant award per EIN. 40% of the award pool is reserved for businesses that have obtained a NJ CRC social equity designation, which is defined as business that have more than 50 percent of the ownership interest of the license applicant or license holder owned by people who have lived in an Economically Disadvantaged Area of the state or who have convictions for cannabis-related offenses (expunged or not). 5% of award pool is reserved for entities with project locations in an Impact Zone.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis or until funds are exhausted. Applications will be evaluated on a first come-first evaluated basis. Application award decisions are based on non-discretionary criteria.
Application will include questions and required documentation related to the entity’s ownership including names, ownership share, place and length of residency, owners’ resumes, management team’s resumes, planned place of operation, site address, lot and block numbers, and other information staff may deem necessary to evaluate the application.
Required Application Information
Applicants will also be required to include, but are not limited to, the following documents:
- New Jersey Certificate of Incorporation or other formation document
- New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate
- NJ CRC issued recreational conditional or annual cannabis license, as specified in the eligibility criteria
- New Jersey WR-30 or equivalent document filed within 180 days of application
- Documentation evidencing site control
- Documentation evidencing municipal approvals
- Completed Legal Questionnaire to begin EDA legal reviews in accordance with Executive Order 34 (Byrne) and the Authority’s Disqualification/Debarment Regulations (N.J.A.C. 19:30-2.1, et seq.) to ensure that applicants demonstrate and maintain the highest standards of responsibility and moral integrity.
For the purposes of the Cannabis Grant Program only, EDA staff has received authority to:
- decide not to disqualify, debar, or suspend applicants and affiliates convicted of marijuana- and hashish-related offenses that meet the criteria for a “social equity business” as defined in the Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s rules (specifically N.J.A.C. 17:30-6.6 and as administered by CRC, provided the applicant does not have other disqualifying convictions or judgments); and
- limit the timeframe for investigation into criminal matters, to those where the date of conviction, satisfactory completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later, occurred five (5) years prior to the date of application, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 17:30-7.12. This modification to the delegated authority approved by the Board on June 8, 2022, will be consistent with NJ CRC’s timeframe for disqualifying convictions (as stated in N.J.A.C. 17:30-7.12(d)).
- Application fee or fee waiver request upon finalization of completeness and eligibility staff review.
Applicants will also be required to show proof of the following:
- In accordance with Chapter 115, the entity must have documents of incorporation (or other formation documents) showing the entity commenced operations after the issuance of Executive Order No. 103 of 2020 (March 9, 2020).
- Owner or owners of 51% or more of the entity must have:
- established at least one non-home-based retail, personal services, or manufacturing businesses in any US state or territory; or
- two (2) or more years of experience as an owner, manager, executive or supervisor of a retail, agricultural, personal services, or manufacturing business
- Owner or owners of 51% or more of the entity have enrolled and completed one of the following:
- A professional cannabis education course (course or courses in cannabis business, cannabis law, cannabis operations, cannabis plant science/plant cultivation or economics of cannabis) offered by an:
- accredited higher education institution, or
- state or local government, or
- A private provider with at least two years of operations and a minimum of 200 program graduates verifiable by the institution, or
- Enrolled or completed a small business entrepreneurship training course, or
- Completed six college credits in business, management, finance, economics, accounting, agricultural sciences, logistics/supply chain management or marketing, OR
- Have three (3) or more years of as an owner, manager, executive or supervisor of a retail, agricultural, personal services, or manufacturing business
- A professional cannabis education course (course or courses in cannabis business, cannabis law, cannabis operations, cannabis plant science/plant cultivation or economics of cannabis) offered by an:
All applications will be reviewed for completeness in the order that they are received by the Authority. At the sole discretion of the Authority, staff may ask for clarification of the information included on the application including, but not limited to, responses, documentation, and attachments at any time prior to the grant award. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and proceed based on their completeness.
Fees
A $1000 nonrefundable application fee is required to complete the application. Fees will not be accepted until the application has been reviewed for completeness and eligibility by program staff and senior management. Applicants who do not meet program eligibility and completeness standards will be advised it is likely that the application will be declined. Applicants will be notified they are able to submit regardless of staff advisory.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Cannabis Equity Grant program is available at https://www.njeda.gov/cannabis
New Jersey Clean Energy Loans (“NJ CELs”)
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications for the New Jersey Clean Energy Loans (“NJ CELs”) program on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 10:00AM EST. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/njcels/. A non-refundable application fee of $1,000 is due at time of application.
ATENCIÓN: si habla español los servicios de asistencia lingüística, gratuitos, están disponibles para usted enviando un correo electrónico a languagehelp@njeda.com.
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languagehelp@njeda.com.
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UWAGA: Jeśli mówisz po polsku, możesz uzyskać pomoc tłumacza bezpłatnie wysyłając e-mail pod adres languagehelp@njeda.com.
ATENÇÃO: se você falar português, oferecemos serviços de apoio de idioma gratuitos. Envie um e-mail para languagehelp@njeda.com.
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Purpose
The purpose of NJ CELs is to unlock capital for small businesses and start-ups seeking financing for clean energy projects, and to catalyze the deployment of clean energy in New Jersey (“NJ”).
Overview
Program Details
The NJEDA’s loans will be between $250,000 and $10 million, for projects with a total principal amount of $500,000 to $20 million.
Eligible clean energy projects for NJ CELs include, but are not limited to, those involving the development, commercialization, manufacturing of products and services, and implementation of technologies that support renewable energy generation and distributed energy resources, grid modernization, energy efficiency and zero-carbon building development, and transport system electrification.
Examples of clean energy technologies include solar power, onshore and offshore wind, electric battery storage, fuel-cell-based storage, carbon capture technologies, non-combustion waste-to- energy technologies, wave energy, water use minimization technologies, carbon-reducing materials, nuclear energy, heat pumps and geothermal, run of river hydroelectric, and other innovative recycling technologies and processes. This list also includes firms that manufacture either finished or interim advanced technologies or components.
Excluded from this list are distribution or transmission utilities, conventional landfill operations, combustion-based waste-to-energy projects, and natural gas projects.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for NJ CELs, applicants must:
- Meet the eligibility criteria for the program, as defined below, and
- Score a minimum of 50 out of 100 points on the scoring criteria.
To be eligible for NJ CELs, an applicant organization must:
- Have fewer than 750 full-time equivalent (“FTE”) employees1;
- Be in good standing with the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development and NJ Department of Environmental Protection;
- Have a valid New Jersey tax clearance certificate no older than 180 days at time of approval for financing;
- Be located in New Jersey;
- Be seeking to finance a clean energy project (see “Program Details” above);
- Use a clean energy technology that has already been demonstrated in the US or internationally2;
- Be economically feasible; as demonstrated by a realistic and sustainable business model. A sustainable model will create and retain the new employees as long-term or permanent as forecasted, and the loan amount requested, together with the other debt and equity investment, cash incentives and other sources of funding, is adequate to achieve the stated purpose of the project;
- Requesting a total loan minimum of $500,000 up to $20 million maximum for the project. This includes the NJEDA portion plus private financing portion;
- Be requesting 50% or less of the total loan amount from NJEDA ($250,000-$10 million); and
- Not be enrolled in any other SSBCI program.
Applicants must also provide a term sheet (or letter of intent, draft agreement, commitment letter, or similar document) from a financial institution that is:
- On the NJEDA Premier Lender list or NJEDA’s CDFI Premier Lender list; or
- A private equity fund, bank, pension fund, insurance company, hedge fund, mezzanine fund, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), developer, family office, specialty finance company, or such other entity that has originated, maintained, and serviced more than $5 million in clean energy loans over a three-year period.
NJ CELs scoring criteria includes:
- Direct jobs forecast to be created, relative to dollar amount of aggregate lending;
- Strength of management team and partnering entities;
- Benefits to NJ overburdened communities;
- Being a NJ Certified Minority-, Woman-, and/or Veteran-Owned Business;
- Current number of employees at the time of application;
- Aggregate principal amount of project; and
- Initial ratio of private financing to NJEDA funds for the proposed project.
The full scoring criteria and available points can be viewed here: https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Scoring-Criteria_3.6.2023.pdf
Loan proceeds may be used for business purposes only, including but not limited to start-up costs; working capital; acquisition of equipment, inventory, or services used in the production, manufacturing, or delivery of a business’s goods or services; or the purchase, construction, renovation, or tenant improvements of an eligible place of business that is not for passive real estate investment purposes.
Any and all construction contracts awarded in NJ that require payment of prevailing wage must provide proof of valid Construction Contractor Registration Certification. Construction may be subject to Federal and/or State environmental requirements including but not limited to the National Environmental Protection Act and New Jersey Executive Order 215 (Kean).
Notwithstanding the above, funds may not be used to:
- With certain limited exceptions, acquire or hold passive investments in real estate such as when the proceeds of the loan are used to invest in real estate acquired and held primarily for sale, lease, or investment;
- Repay delinquent federal or state income taxes;
- Repay taxes held in trust or escrow (e.g., payroll or sales taxes);
- Reimburse funds owed to any owner, including any equity investment or investment of capital for the business’s continuance;
- Purchase any portion of the ownership interest of any owner of the business, except for the purchase of an interest in an employee stock ownership plan qualifying under section 401 of Internal Revenue Code, worker cooperative, or related vehicle, provided that the transaction results in the employee stock ownership plan or other employee-owned entity holding a majority interest (on a fully diluted basis) in the business; or
- Support a business in an illegal activity, pyramid scheme, or any unethical business.
Loan Terms and Rates
The NJEDA will only finance up to 50% of the overall loan amount for a project. At least half of the total loan for the project must be financed by one or more financial institutions that meet the criteria listed above.
NJEDA loan terms:
- Between $250,000 and $10 million (for projects with a total loan amount of $500,000-$20 million)
- For terms between 1 and 25 years
- Interest rate: 3% below the financial institution’s rate
- Secured, but subordinate to the private lender in collateral.
Special terms: Minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned businesses, as well as businesses whose projects are located in an overburdened community, are eligible for:
- Additional 1% interest rate reduction each; and
- 10% loan forgiveness, if the project results in at least 1 job being created per $100,000 of aggregate lending for the project at the end of the loan term or after 5 years, whichever is sooner.
Application Process:
The NJ CELs application will open at 10:00 AM Eastern on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. The application, once live, can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/njcels/.
Complete applications will be reviewed by the Authority on a rolling basis. NJEDA staff will verify basic eligibility criteria, including meeting the minimum SSBCI requirements, and conduct an overall evaluation using the standardized scoring criteria. NJEDA may also request the findings from the financial institution’s underwriting, including ability-to-pay (credit) analysis. Applicants who submitted incomplete applications will be provided the opportunity to submit missing information within ten business days.
Fees:
NJEDA will charge applicants the following fees:
- Application fee: non-refundable $1,000 fee for applying to NJ CELs
- Commitment fee: non-refundable fee of 0.875% of the loan amount paid prior to NJEDA issuing a commitment letter
- Closing fee of 0.875% of the loan amount (non-refundable) paid:
- at closing in cases where NJEDA is originating a companion loan; or
- at the time NJEDA purchases participation in a loan originated by a financial institution.
Additional Information:
Additional information on NJ CELs may be found at https://www.njeda.gov/njcels/.
Questions concerning this Notice of Funding Availability should be submitted via email to njcels@njeda.com.
- Full-time equivalent (FTE) definition: One full-time employee with a minimum of 40 hours of work per week, or a combined number of 40 part-time and seasonal employee hours per week.
A business’s total number of employees includes the business’s full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) as well as the FTEs of its affiliates, rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. “Demonstrated” means that, at a minimum, a prototype has been verified in an operational environmental, either in the U.S. or abroad.
NJ ZIP Pilot Voucher Program for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicles
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) will begin accepting applications from potential vehicle purchasers for the second phase of the New Jersey Zero-Emission Incentive Program (“NJ ZIP)” pilot at 10:00 AM Eastern on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
The application will remain open until all the voucher funds are reserved, on a first come, first served basis, with set asides by location, business type, and use case. The application can be assessed at www.njeda.gov/njzip. A fee of $1,000 is due at time of application.
This NOFA is for New Jersey businesses and institutions (“Purchaser Applicants”) to apply for voucher funding to support the purchase of zero-emission vehicles (“ZEV”) only. NJ ZIP vehicle dealers and manufacturers (“Vendor Applicants”) are not eligible and had the opportunity to apply between October 18 -November 22, 2022 for consideration as approved vendors eligible for selection by purchasers in the NJ ZIP pilot for Phase 2.
Purpose
The purpose of NJ ZIP is to help New Jersey-based companies accelerate adoption of medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs by reducing the upfront capital cost through the provision of vouchers. The adoption of ZEV will help reduce emissions statewide. Additionally, this second phase of the NJ ZIP pilot will allow NJEDA to stimulate and assess market-readiness as well as determine and foster the economic impact of ZEV adoption moving forward.
Overview
This second phase of the NJ ZIP pilot will ultimately approve and reserve voucher funding to support Purchaser Applicants who meet a set of eligibility criteria, and whose selected vehicles, approved vehicle vendors, and vehicle use case qualify. This second phase of the pilot is for commercial, industrial, or institutional organizations with vehicle operations in the state of New Jersey purchasing medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs.
Program Details
The NJ ZIP pilot is a first-come, first-serve voucher program focused on incentivizing the use of ZEVs by New Jersey businesses and institutions. The Authority’s expenditure of this funding is aligned with its core mission, to foster sustainable and equitable economic growth – in this case, in the commercial-use ZEV ecosystem and value chain within the State. In line with Governor Phil Murphy’s recent pledge to convert to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles statewide by 2035, NJ ZIP aims to expedite the adoption and use of clean-energy vehicles for business owners, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and bolster the state’s clean energy economy.
Eligibility
As noted above, this NOFA is for NJ ZIP pilot Purchaser Applicants only.
To be eligible for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot, a Purchaser Applicant must:
- Be a commercial, industrial, or institutional organization registered to do business in New Jersey. As defined in the Global Warming Solutions Fund regulation (N.J.A.C. 7:27D-1.2), “institutional” means serving a non-profit or public purpose such as a library, hospital, public school, institution of higher education, municipal utility, public recreation or cultural facility, or government entity. The term “government entity” includes local and municipal government entities, but for the purposes of this pilot, State government entities are not eligible.
- Provide a valid New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate to demonstrate business registration or ability to conduct operations in New Jersey.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
- Satisfy the Authority’s debarment/disqualification review, not be in default under any Authority program, and not have any outstanding obligations to the Authority.
- Be the prospective vehicle owner at time of application, and be the vehicle owner throughout the compliance period.
To be eligible for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot, the Purchaser Applicant’s proposed vehicle(s) must be:
- A new zero-emission Class 2b – Class 8 (GVWR 8,501 lbs. – 33,000+ lbs.) vehicle, used for commercial, industrial, or institutional purposes. Retrofits and repowers of pre-owned vehicles are not eligible.
- All ZEVs, defined as “a vehicle that emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power, such as particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of nitrogen”, are eligible for vouchers. This includes, but is not limited to, battery-electric (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell-electric (FCEV) vehicles.
- Purchased, delivered, and registered in compliance with the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission (“NJMVC”) within 12 months of receipt of the voucher approval letter. Proof of intent to purchase at time of application is required for eligibility. An extension for up to an additional six months may be permitted, as described below.
- Not the subject of any other State or federal funding for the same vehicle(s).
- Procured from an approved vendor (detailed in the following section).
Note: Vehicle scrappage is not mandated by this program EXCEPT in the case that the new vehicle is replacing a vehicle model year 2009 or earlier. For consistency with prior State programs, “scrappage” is defined within the DEP’s Volkswagen (“VW”) Settlement funded grant program as rendering the vehicle inoperable and available for recycle; at a minimum, to cut a 3-inch hole in the engine block and disable the chassis by cutting the vehicle’s frame rails complete in half. Vehicles that are not replacements (i.e., ZEV purchased are for new use cases or to expand a fleet) or are replacing a model year 2010 or later DO NOT have to comply with scrappage requirements. Information on any vehicle replacements will be requested within the application to determine scrappage requirements and support Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”)-metric reporting on avoided emissions.
Approved vehicle vendors for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot must:
- Provide proof of a minimum of 12 months of experience selling or manufacturing eligible zero-emission vehicles.
- Be registered to conduct business in New Jersey, as demonstrated by a valid New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
- Satisfy the Authority’s debarment/disqualification review, not be in default under any Authority program, and not have any outstanding obligations to the Authority.
- Offer at least one eligible vehicle and provide required vehicle-associated documentation, including but not limited to:
- Listing information related to the vehicles, such as via vendor website, inclusive of vehicle images, descriptions, and sale cost.
- A specification sheet outlining all major components, corroborating vehicle capabilities, charging/fueling needs, design appropriate to proposed use, and eligibility.
- Certification from the manufacturer that the vehicle complies with all applicable state and federal requirements for operation, including the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
- Standard warranty for the eligible vehicle(s), indicating at least three years or 50,000 miles of coverage, whichever comes first, covering parts (at a minimum, motor, drive train, and batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.) and labor. May be updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Typical delivery plan and timeline, updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Proof of intent to purchase eligible vehicle(s) on a per-purchaser basis
- In-state servicing plan for maintenance of vehicles aligned with industry norms and current best practices implemented before vehicle delivery. May be updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Standard charging or fueling plan development methodology, updated on a per-purchaser basis to address such purchaser’s needs, providing clarity on, but not limited to, the anticipated count, type, capacity, and location of chargers/fueling stations necessary for the vehicle(s).
- Agree to accept the program’s terms and conditions as laid out in the grant agreement, including but not limited to:
- Accept the program’s voucher towards Purchaser Applicants’ vehicle payments, deducting the vehicle’s voucher amount from the upfront cost.
- Engage with EDA’s selected technical assistance provider, potentially including in-person events when mutually agreed to.
- Accept the program’s voucher towards Purchaser Applicants’ vehicle payments, deducting the vehicle’s voucher amount from the upfront cost.
- Listing information related to the vehicles, such as via vendor website, inclusive of vehicle images, descriptions, and sale cost.
Other terms and conditions: By accepting the voucher funding, Purchaser Applicants will also agree to the following terms:
- Purchaser Applicant will register the vehicle in the State of New Jersey for a minimum of the three continuous years.
- Purchaser Applicant will annually operate at least 75 percent of vehicle miles traveled (“VMT”) in the State of the New Jersey.
- NJEDA’s right to audit and verify compliance with eligibility requirements post-voucher redemption, and agree to provide responses and data upon request to support such audits and verifications. For example, to verify VMT miles traveled within the eligible overburdened communities, NJEDA may require data such as but not limited to telematics, route maps, delivery histories, etc.
- Permit the use of NJEDA Purchaser Applicant information, Vendor Applicant information, and vehicle data and information provided in the application and audit process that is not otherwise prohibited by law, for case studies and to support the development of future programs.
- Purchaser Applicant will commit to displaying a visual indication on the commercial vehicle that it is a ZEV and that its purchase was subsidized through this program, as materially provided by NJEDA (e.g., a bumper sticker, placard, etc.).
Pilot Program Voucher Funding Levels
Voucher funding amounts are based on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (“GVWR”) laid out in the table below:
Table 1: Voucher Amounts
Vehicle GVWR | Vehicle Class | Voucher amount |
8,501 – 10,000 lbs. | Class 2b | $20,000 |
10,0001 – 14,000 lbs. | Class 3 | $50,000 |
14,001 – 16,000 lbs. | Class 4 | $65,000 |
16,001 – 19,500 lbs. | Class 5 | $75,000 |
19,501 – 26,000 lbs. | Class 6 | $90,000 |
26,001 – 33,000 lbs. | Class 7 | $135,000 |
33,001+ lbs. | Class 8 | $175,000 |
These voucher amounts are based on industry research with subject matter experts through procured consultant, Guidehouse, benchmarked against other states’ current, prior, and proposed programs, and verified with outreach from stakeholders. These values represent, based on current range of estimated ZEV costs, approximately 75 – 110 percent of the incremental cost of ZEV compared to similar internal combustion engine vehicles, bringing the ZEV closer to or at upfront cost parity for trucks. Through the same research, ZEV buses were identified as having a much larger upfront cost compared to diesel bus alternatives. These base voucher amounts would not meet the incremental cost of a ZEV bus, thus the need for additional voucher funding.
In order to address stakeholder-identified barriers and to further incentivize activity aligned with the Authority’s mission, Purchaser Applicants may be eligible and apply for increased per-vehicle voucher bonuses through documentation of any of the following:
- Certified woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned business bonus: A four percent increase in the base voucher amount per vehicle per qualifying New Jersey State woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned business certification
- Small business bonus: A 25 percent increase of the base voucher amount per vehicle.
- For the purposes of this program, a small business is defined as having 25 or fewer full time employees in total OR less than $5 million in annual revenue.
- New Jersey manufacturing bonus: A 25 percent increase of base voucher amount per vehicle will be available if the Vendor Applicant can document (for example, but not limited to, through price sheets and hourly rates) that 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle is spent in New Jersey on labor for vehicle design, assembly, and/or manufacturing or cost of components produced in New Jersey.
- Environmental justice bonus: A ten percent increase of base voucher amount per vehicle to small business applicants or municipalities who commit to driving in environmentally overburdened communities. To be eligible, Purchaser Applicants must demonstrate in a manner acceptable to the Authority, annual operation of 50 percent or more of VMT OR registration and domicile within an overburdened community census tract for a minimum of three continuous years from the date of registration.
- School Bus bonus: A 25 percent increase in base voucher amount per vehicle if the Purchaser Applicant is purchasing a school bus. Those receiving a benefit under P.L. 2022, c. 86 are not eligible under this program.
These bonuses may be stacked, and the Applicant may be eligible for multiple bonuses.
Purchaser Applicants may apply for more than one vehicle voucher within the same application. The total funding per vehicle may equal but may not exceed the cost of the vehicle. The total funding reserved for a Purchaser Applicant (as determined by EIN) through vouchers inclusive of any qualifying bonuses, cannot exceed $3,000,000, to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
Of the total NJ ZIP pilot program budget, $45,000,000 will be reserved to fund vouchers, utilizing the following allocations:
- $15,000,000 will be set-aside for small businesses
- $15,000,000 will be set-aside for overburdened community applications.
The remainder of voucher funding will be un-allocated. All disbursements will be subject to availability of funding.
Application Process:
The Purchaser Application will open at 10:00 AM Eastern on Tuesday, April18, 2022. There is not a deadline for applying; the portal will remain open until all the voucher funds are reserved, on a first come, first served basis, with set asides by location, business type, and use case. The application, once live, can be accessed at www.njeda.gov/njzip.
As a duplication of benefits (“DOB”) is prohibited, Purchaser Applicants shall disclose and certify as to receipt of funding or financial assistance from multiple sources for the same ZEV at time of disbursement. This will be verified by NJEDA.
A DOB occurs when someone receives funding or financial assistance from multiple sources for the same purpose/expense and the total assistance received exceeds their need for that type of assistance. Other funding sources that are considered in determining whether a duplication of benefits exists are other State or Federal grant-style programs, such as the NJ DEP’s Volkswagen Settlement funds or the US EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program, which have the same purpose. So, the combined value of the NJ ZIP grant and other funding sources may not exceed the purchase price for the vehicle.
Federal tax credits and State sales tax exemptions are not considered duplication of benefits, as their purpose is not designed to reduce upfront cost.
Chargers and related infrastructure are not eligible for NJ ZIP voucher funding and therefore may be covered by utility, State, Federal, or other grant funding.
Fees: Applicants will be assessed an application fee of $1,000 per application.
If the fee creates an undue financial hardship on your business, you may apply for a fee waiver which, if approved by NJEDA, would reduce your fee by half ($500).
Additional Information:
Additional information on the NJ ZIP may be found at https://www.njeda.gov/njzip
New Jersey Innovation Fellows Program (NJIF) Application
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
Revision extends the application deadline from May 15, 2023 5PM to June 19, 2023 5PM
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will begin accepting applications for the New Jersey Innovation Fellows Program at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 and closes on Monday, June 19, 2023 at 5PM. The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/new-jersey-innovation-fellows-program/.
Purpose
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA” or “Authority”) is seeking applications from qualified applicants for the New Jersey Innovation Fellows Grant Program (“NJIF”). The program aims to provide income-replacement* funding to teams of entrepreneurs, through the disbursement of fellowship grants in the base amount of $200,000, and up to $400,000 with qualified bonuses, thereby facilitating economic growth and job creation in eligible municipalities.
* “Income-replacement” capital is purposed to replace a stream of income an entrepreneur might forego to launch an early-stage business.
Overview
P.L.2021, c.160 (C.34:1B-370 through 34:1B-373), establishes the New Jersey Innovation Fellows Program, which provides a total of $10 million in funding to support would-be entrepreneurs, particularly diverse entrepreneurs, with “income replacement” grants. This resource creates an opportunity for new entrepreneurs to pursue a unique startup business venture with the security of initial income replacement funding in the two-year ideation and formation period of their business.
In accordance with the statute and the NJEDA Board Memo dated November 16, 2022, approved teams will be qualified to receive $200,000 as a base award with up to $200,000 in bonuses that would result in a total award of up to $400,000. See Bonus section below. Furthermore, award disbursements are subject to teams meeting and maintaining compliance milestones. With satisfactory compliance milestones, funding will be disbursed over eight quarters.
Additionally, the NJIF legislation requires all members of the approved entrepreneur team (each an “entrepreneur fellow”) to participate in a mentorship program. The Authority will seek to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with third-party partners, to help structure and administer a State-wide mentorship program.
Entrepreneur fellows will be required to participate in the mentorship programs facilitated by the third-party partners as a condition of their grant award, which will incorporate virtual and in-person meetings. Mandatory attendance of the mentorship program will be required throughout the two-year duration of the fellowship program.
The initial general-operations curriculum may train the entrepreneurs in the following subject matters:
• Managerial Finance, Accounting, & Financial Statements preparations
• Human Resources development & management
• Marketing & Customer Development
• Product design, development & management
• Capital sourcing & raise
• Vision Mapping
• Buyer Personas
• Business Model Design
• Contracts & Business structures (Legal studies).
Bonuses
The Fellowship grant awards $200,000 per team of no less than three (3), first-time entrepreneurs as a base award. Teams may access an additional $50,000 award on top of the $200,000 base award if one entrepreneur team member verifies residency in a designated Opportunity Zone in New Jersey. Opportunity zone means a federal population census tract in New Jersey that was eligible to be designated as a qualified opportunity zone pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s.1400Z-1. Teams may also be awarded an additional $50,000 in bonuses for each entrepreneur leader, who self-certifies as a “diverse entrepreneur” (as defined in section 2 of P.L.1997, c.349 (C.54:10A-5.29) OR is a “graduate of a New Jersey college or university” (including 2yr, and 4yr schools) in the State, as evidenced by corresponding degree or certification documents. Qualifying teams may receive total bonuses of up to $150,000 for certifying team members, resulting in a potential total award of $400,000.
“Diverse entrepreneur” is defined in N.J.S.A. 54:10A-5.29 as individuals meeting the criteria for “minority business” or “female business” defined in N.J.S.A. 52:32-19 as either “persons who are black, Hispanic, Portuguese, Asian-American, American Indian or Alaskan natives” or a woman. – Thus, the Authority will accept an individual entrepreneur’s minority self-certification, if the individual identifies as one of the ethnic and racial categories recognized for minority-owned businesses for the purposes of State certification or identifies as a woman.
Eligibility
The NJIF program will support teams of at least three entrepreneurs, of which half must be first-time entrepreneurs. A team with an odd number of entrepreneur leaders must demonstrate more than half the team must be first-time entrepreneurs. The NJIF program defines a first-time entrepreneur as an entrepreneur who has never been listed as a founder, co-founder, or owner of a business entity that operated in a targeted industry in the State of New Jersey, or has not received third-party, institutional, funding for past entrepreneurial opportunities as early as the ideation phase. Entrepreneurs who have received State and/or federal funding for past entrepreneurial opportunities with entities which did not operate in a targeted industry in the State of New Jersey are eligible for the grant’s consideration.
At least half of the self-identified entrepreneur team (i.e., the minimum three entrepreneurs that will manage the new start-up venture) must certify as “first-time entrepreneurs” and must come directly from the workforce. A team with an odd number of entrepreneur leaders must demonstrate more than half the team must be first-time entrepreneurs.
NJIF Legislation also requires all grant recipients to pay gross income tax at the time of application or demonstrate gross income tax paid within 60 days prior to application date.
Detailed eligibility criteria can be found on the NJIF web page here: New Jersey Innovation Fellows Program – NJEDA.
Application Process
Applications for the NJIFs program will be accepted during distinct application rounds, where the application and any supporting information will be made available on the NJEDA website. There will be a total of four (4) distinct application periods over the course of the Fellowship’s two-year tenure (two application periods within a calendar year, open approximately six months apart), or until funds are exhausted. Each application period will be preceded by a 30-day open Q&A period, followed by an approximately 60-day application period.
Members of the Authority’s staff will ensure qualified applicants meet all minimum requirements for program participation by reviewing a minimum requirement checklist and supporting documentation.
Fees
There is a $250 application fee due at the time of application submission. Applications will not be considered complete without payment of the application fee.
Wind Institute Fellowship Program for Private Research Universities
REVISED AS OF FEBRUARY 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
This Notice of Funding is subject to the Governor’s veto pursuant to N.J.S.A. 34:1B-4.i and remains conditional until February 23, 2023.
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA”) will begin accepting applications for the Wind Institute Fellowship Program for Private Research Universities on February 24, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. and will close on March 3, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. The application is open for 6 calendar days. There is a $1,000 non-refundable application fee. This is a non-competitive program. A total of $844,800 will be available through this program, with a maximum award amount of $281,000 per university. The application can be accessed at: https://www.njeda.gov/wind-institute-fellowship-program-for-private-research-universities/
Purpose
This grant opportunity is issued by the NJEDA seeking applications from qualified universities to participate in the Wind Institute Fellowship Program (“Fellowship Program”). NJEDA entered into Memorandums of Understanding with New Jersey’s public research universities for the first year of the Fellowship Program, which covers academic year 2022-2023. For Fellowship Program Year 2 and Fellowship Program Year 3, NJEDA seeks to also enter into agreements with New Jersey’s private, public mission research universities to expand the Fellowship Program.
Overview
The Fellowship Program is designed to encourage and support student research in topics that further the development of offshore wind in New Jersey and build student and faculty advisor expertise in offshore wind. Participating students (“Fellows”) will conduct independent research under the tutelage of a faculty advisor at their home institution. Fellows will convene as a cohort to participate in industry trainings, guest lectures, site visits and other activities to support their knowledge of the offshore wind industry, providing exposure to industry stakeholders.
For each Fellowship Program Year, each school will be responsible for recruiting a diverse set of students and managing their own application and selection process. Fellows may be upper class undergraduate (juniors and seniors) and graduate students, including masters and doctoral students, in any discipline/degree program as long as the research conducted for the Fellowship Program is focused on offshore wind. NJEDA will provide funding to each school to disburse as stipends for a capped number of students as described below. Undergraduate Fellows will receive a $15,000 stipend and graduate Fellows will receive a $30,000 stipend. Each Fellow will be provided an additional $1,000 stipend for travel, material, equipment, and other research expenses related to their Fellowship. Each private, public mission university will be able to select up to four (4) Fellows, with a goal of selecting at least one undergraduate (junior and senior) and one graduate (masters or ph.d) Fellow for each Fellowship Program Year. In addition, each faculty advisor will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and each school will be provided 10% of the total grant amount for facilities and administration expenses.
The Fellows’ research is expected to be completed over the course of the academic year, with the addition of the preceding or following Summer semester at each school’s discretion. Overall, the Fellowship should be in place for a minimum of 25 weeks and a maximum of 40 weeks. Fellowship Program Year 2 will take place during the 2023-2024 academic year beginning no later than the Fall 2023 semester and ending no later than the Summer 2024 semester. Fellowship Program Year 3 will take place during the 2024-2025 academic year beginning no later than the Fall 2024 semester and ending no later than the Summer 2025 semester. For each Fellowship Program Year, NJEDA will organize cohort meetings from October to April as well as an April symposium where Fellows will present their research findings to an audience of government, academic, and industry stakeholders.
Eligibility
Only New Jersey private, public-mission universities designated by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as R1 (Very High Research Activity) or R2 (High Research Activity) are eligible to apply for this grant.
The university applicant must be in substantial good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The university applicant must provide a current tax clearance certificate as part of the application from the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Certificates may be requested through the State of New Jersey Premier Business Services Portal online at: https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp.
Project Scope
In support of the Fellowship Program, each of the selected universities will:
- Develop and submit a Fellowship Program marketing and selection process plan that will guide efforts to advertise the program widely and support engagement of a diverse group of students and faculty advisors.
- Conduct an application and selection process with established selection criteria
- Facilitate connections between Fellows and faculty advisors and relevant resources at the university
- Submit the names of the selected students, advisors, project descriptions, and signed participation forms to NJEDA within fifteen (15) days of completing the selection process and no later than September 1, 2023 for Fellowship Program Year 2 and September 1, 2024 for Fellowship Program Year 3
- Begin the Fellowship Program no later than the Fall 2023 semester and conclude the program no later than the Summer 2024 semester for Fellowship Year 2 and begin no later than the Fall 2024 semester and conclude no later than the Summer 2025 semester for Fellowship Year 3
- Assign a university representative to support NJEDA staff on communications with the Fellows and advisors throughout the Fellowship Program
- Disburse and track program expenditures including payments to Fellows and honorariums to advisors per the university’s internal policies and procedures
- Submit a report detailing the use of funds throughout the Fellowship Program no later than September 1, 2024 for Fellowship Program Year 2 and no later than September 1, 2025 for Fellowship Program Year 3
- Return any funds not utilized for the program to NJEDA by September 30, 2024 for Fellowship Program Year 2 and September 30, 2025 for Fellowship Program Year 2. With NJEDA’s written approval, each university may roll over any unutilized Fellowship Program Year 2 funding to be used for Fellowship Program Year 3.
In support of the Fellowship Program, NJEDA will:
- Provide communication materials and support the schools in marketing the Fellowship Program
- Organize five to eight Fellowship cohort meetings from October to April of each Fellowship Program Year for Fellows to participate in industry trainings, guest lectures, site visits, and/or presentations
- Recruit and engage key industry stakeholders throughout the program to maximize the Fellows’ exposure to the industry
- Organize the Wind Institute Fellowship Symposium to take place in April of each Fellowship Program Year
- Upon receiving the names of the selected students and their project descriptions, provide schools with funding based on the number and graduate level of the selected Fellows for each Fellowship Program Year.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted between February 24, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. and March 3, 2023 at 5:00
p.m. All interested applicants must complete and submit their applications online through the portal by the deadline to be considered for the program. The application can be found at: https://www.njeda.gov/wind-institute-fellowship-program-for-private-research-universities/
After the application window is closed, NJEDA staff will review all applications for completeness and compliance with the required documentation. All eligible applicants will be notified of their selection. NJEDA staff may request clarifying or additional information from applicants with incomplete or noncompliant applications and such information must be received within five (5) business days of the date of request or the response may be rejected.
There is no scoring criteria for this Program. NJEDA will enter an agreement with any and all applicants meeting the eligibility criteria subject to the availability of funds.
Grant Amounts
For each Fellowship Year, the maximum grant amount for each university is $140,800 (calculation based on all four Fellows at the graduate level). The grant award for each university would be less if the university selects fewer than the specified number of Fellows in total and/or a mix of undergraduate and graduate Fellows.
Eligible Uses
Funds may only be used for the Wind Institute Fellowship Program for:
- Student research
- Travel/material stipends
- Faculty advisor honorariums (one faculty advisor per Fellow)
- 10% of the total grant amount for facilities and administrative expenses
Disbursement
Within fifteen (15) days of completing the selection process and no later than September 1, 2023 for Fellowship Program Year 2 and September 1, 2024 for Fellowship Program Year 3, the university must submit to NJEDA documentation on the selected students including the names of the selected students, advisors, project descriptions, and signed participation forms. Once received, NJEDA will disburse funds for each Fellowship Program Year based on:
- $30,000 per graduate Fellow
- $15,000 per undergraduate Fellow
- $1,000 stipend per undergraduate or graduate Fellow for travel, materials, and other Fellowship expenses
- $1,000 faculty honorarium per faculty advisor
- 10% of the grant amount for Facilities and Administration expenses
Additional Information
Information about the Wind Institute Fellowship Program for Private Research Universities can be found at: https://www.njeda.gov/wind-institute-fellowship-program-for-private-research- universities/
New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program
Notice of Funding Availability
REVISED AS OF MAY 8, 2023 EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
Revision eliminates the June 30, 2023 deadline to order/purchase equipment. Approved applicants will now have thirty days after execution of closing agreement to order/purchase eligible equipment.
REVISED AS OF FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Board approval will be sought on March 8, 2023 to increase the available funding from $20,000,000 to $33,750,000. Under N.J.S.A. 34:1B-4i, no Board action has force or effect until 10 business days after the Authority delivers meeting minutes to the Governor’s Office. Accordingly, the increase in funding remains conditional until at least March 23, 2023. Assuming the Board approves and the Governor does not veto, this program will make a total of $33.75 million less $1 million for administrative expenses available to support New Jersey manufacturers’ access to manufacturing equipment needed to become more efficient, productive, and profitable. Eligibility requirements and all other terms and conditions will remain the same.
REVISED AS OF JANUARY 12, 2023 EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
Revision clarifies the pre-qualification review is a courtesy review and extends the second stage of the application to a 14 day cure period for applicants with an incomplete application.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA or Authority) will begin accepting pre-qualification submissions from manufacturing companies that are: in an identified Targeted Industry and/or purchasing eligible equipment that meets the Advanced Manufacturing definition for the New Jersey Manufacturer’s Voucher Program (NJ MVP) pilot at 10:00 AM on December 15, 2022. The pre-qualification submission deadline is 11:59 PM on December 22, 2022. The pre-qualification application can be accessed at www.njeda.gov/njmvp. There is no fee for pre-qualification submission. If NJEDA determines a submission is pre-qualified and offers an application, a fee of $1,000 is due from the applicant at the time of application.
Purpose
The purpose of NJ MVP is to support New Jersey manufacturers’ access to manufacturing equipment needed to become more efficient, productive, and profitable.
Overview
On June 30, 2022, Governor Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Act (Act) into law as P.L.2022, c.49. The Act includes $35 million for a Manufacturing Initiative to grow and strengthen the State’s manufacturing sector, including programs to spur capital investment, increase the adoption of new technology, attract new suppliers to the state, and expand workforce development and training opportunities. NJ MVP is utilizing $33.75 million to stimulate private sector investments to modernize New Jersey’s manufacturing industry, and to help keep pace with state-of-the art product development and manufacturing technology.
Program Details
NJ MVP will provide equipment grants sized at 30% to 50% of the cost of the eligible equipment (including installation), up to a maximum award amount of $250,000. The program will support the purchase of manufacturing equipment for New Jersey manufacturers in Targeted Industries for their manufacturing process or equipment that meets the definition of Advanced Manufacturing. (See Targeted Industry List and definitions: https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Appendix-C-Targeted-Industries-Definitions-12.6.22_v2.pdf) Examples of advanced manufacturing technologies include additive manufacturing technologies, computer-aided manufacturing, utilization of advanced sensors and robotics to improve production, development of advanced materials to support production, and digital twin development and utilization. This industry also includes firms that manufacture either finished or interim advanced technologies or components. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and remain open until all funds are committed.
The program will offer bonuses for Certified Woman, Minority, and Veteran Owned Businesses (WMVB); businesses located within opportunity zones; manufacturing equipment purchased from a New Jersey manufacturer or assembler; as well as bonuses for companies that have a collective bargaining agreement in place. NJ MVP is also committed to supporting Small Businesses by awarding manufacturers with up to 100 employees or Full Time Equivalent employees with higher award percentages.
A “Small Business” means a business engaged primarily in one industry with 100 or fewer employees, as determined six months before application and at the time of application. An “Employee” of a small business shall include a person who is employed for consideration for at least 35 hours a week; who is employed pursuant to an employee leasing agreement for at least 35 hours a week; or who is a partner of a business who works for the partnership for at least 35 hours a week. An Employee of a small business shall also include any person who works as an independent contractor for the business or a contract worker who works at the business for at least 35 hours a week. For those persons who are employed by the business or who work for the business as independent contractors or contract workers for less than 35 hours, 35 hours of employment a week shall constitute one employee, regardless of whether the hours of work were performed by one or more persons. This is known as “Full Time Equivalents.” The Authority may determine a different number of hours a week or other standard of service generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment. For purposes of the number of employees, a small business shall include all of its affiliates, regardless of whether the affiliate may contribute full-time jobs or capital investment to the project.
Program Eligibility:
NJ MVP will provide funding for New Jersey Manufacturers who meet of the following eligibility criteria:
- Applicant company must be either a manufacturer in a Targeted Industry or the equipment to be purchased by the applicant company must meet the Advanced Manufacturingdefinition. (See Targeted Industry List and definitions: https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Appendix-C-Targeted-Industries-Definitions-12.6.22_v2.pdf
- Applicant company must obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate.
- Applicant company must be in substantial good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
- Applicant company must intend the equipment for use at a location in New Jersey.
- Applicant company must provide purchase quote, order proforma, and/or equipment listing.
- Projects with executed contracts, a purchase order placed, or a deposit dated prior to submitting a pre-qualification for an NJ MVP application WILL NOT be considered for funding.
- Applicant company must have a business location. Home-based businesses are not eligible.
- Applicant company must intend the equipment for use in the manufacturing process. (Please see www.njeda.gov/njmvp.)
- Total aggregated project cost (equipment + installation) must be at least $25,000.00.
- New and/or used equipment is eligible.
In addition, all contracts (including manufactures/supplier agreements) are subject to New Jersey’s prevailing wage laws.
Bonus Eligibility:
NJ MVP will award bonuses to applicants as follows:
Stackable 5% Bonuses Available for:
- Equipment located, installed, and used in an Opportunity Zone Eligible Census Tract
- Certified Woman, Minority, and Veteran Owned Businesses (WMVB)
- At least one Collective Bargaining Agreement in place.
Stackable 10% Bonuses Available for:
- Purchase of equipment from a New Jersey Manufacturer. (Equipment must be manufactured and/or assembled in New Jersey.)
Eligible Uses:
Funding can only be used for the purchase and installation of new and/or used manufacturing equipment used in the manufacturing process. The equipment must be located and installed at a New Jersey location. Eligible manufacturing equipment includes technologically advanced equipment or production/operating systems, such as robotics, additive manufacturing equipment, hardware or software for digital twinning, advanced sensor or control systems, as well as interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with industrial applications, and related security. The acquisition of eligible equipment as it relates to NJ MVP must executed at arm’s length.
Application Process
The process will include two-steps:
- First, the interested applicant company must submit a pre-qualification application. The pre-qualification application will open on December 15, 2022 and will remain open on a rolling basis until December 22, 2022.
- applications will be reviewed by NJEDA for courtesy review of select key eligibility requirements. Applicants that submit incomplete pre-qualification applications will be provided the opportunity to submit missing information within seven (7) business days.
- Second, a pre-qualified applicant company will then be offered an invitation by NJEDA to apply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The application will remain open until all funds are committed. Applicants that submit incomplete applications will be provided fourteen (14) days after their application is reviewed to provide missing or incomplete documents.
- Applicant companies may purchase equipment once an application is submitted at their own risk but are encouraged to wait for an NJEDA approval.
Fees:
There is no fee for the pre-qualification application. Once a pre-qualification applicant is deemed pre-qualified from the courtesy review by NJEDA, a link will be provided to the applicant to fill out the NJMVP application. A fee of $1,000 is due at time of application submission.
Funding Levels:
- Grant awards will be 30% to 50% of eligible project cost (depending on stackable bonuses and number of employees), with a minimum award of $7,500 and maximum award amount of $250,000 per applicant.
- Applicant companies may submit multiple project applications. However, the aggregate amount awarded to any one company may not exceed $250,000 and the total aggregated project cost must be is at least $25,000.
- One single award disbursement will be issued when proof of equipment delivery and installation is provided.
- Approved applicants will have thirty (30) days after the execution of their closing agreement to order / purchase eligible equipment.
- Approved applicants will be allowed 12 months for the delivery and installation of the equipment with two six-month extensions.
- All disbursements are subject to availability of funding
Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications for the Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge at 10:00 a.m. December 8, 2022 AND WILL CLOSE ON February 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. The application is open for 56 calendar days, including federal holidays. Due to the objective of this program, the standard $1,000 application fee is waived. This is a competitive program. A total of $3,725,000 will be available through this program, with minimum and maximum award amounts set at $100,000 and $1,000,000, respectively. The application can be accessed at: www.njeda.gov/offshore-wind-workforce-and-skills-development-grant-challenge/ .
Purpose
This grant opportunity is issued by the NJEDA seeking applications from qualified applicants to launch or expand offshore wind workforce and skills development programs.
Overview
The Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge(Grant Challenge) is a competitive program that will award grants to selected applicants to launch or expand workforce training and skills programs focused on strengthening and diversifying the New Jersey offshore wind workforce. A total of $3,725,000 will be available through this program, with minimum and maximum award amounts set at $100,000 and $1,000,000, respectively. Priority in this Grant Challenge will be given to applicants or applicant teams that propose initiatives supporting training and job access for residents of overburdened communities. Grants will be awarded to proposals that achieve the highest overall scores based on the scoring criteria set forth in the product specifications.
Eligibility
This Grant Challenge is open to public and non-profit entities that can design and execute workforce and skills training programs for the offshore wind industry. Such entities may include, but are not limited to, community-based organizations, workforce training organizations, labor unions, workforce placement intermediaries, technical high schools, community colleges, universities, non-profit organizations and regional workforce development boards. Private, for-profit entities cannot apply as the primary applicant but may be part of an applicant team as a collaborator.
NJEDA will enter into a grant agreement with each successful primary applicant, and the primary applicant will be held solely responsible for complying with the terms of the grant. However, applicants must collaborate with, and adhere to, the following guidance on collaboration with other entities to develop and support robust workforce training programs:
- Required: All applications must include at least one Community-Based Organization (CBO) with demonstrated experience serving a New Jersey Overburdened Community, as defined by New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law, N.J.S.A. 13:1D-157, et seq. The CBO must either be the primary applicant or a strategic collaborator with the primary applicant. All applications that include the CBO as a strategic collaborator must clearly define the CBO’s role, alignment with the CBO’s mission and/or services, and the amount of the grant request allocated to the CBO for the agreed upon role. For the purposes of this Grant Challenge, a Community-Based Organization is defined as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides direct services or supports to a specific geographic New Jersey community(ies) or specific segments of a New Jersey community(ies). Per the New Jersey Division of Taxation, a 501(c)(3) Organization refers to a nonprofit organization that has received a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating that the organization is exempt from federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The term also may refer to a church or ministry that may qualify for an IRS 501(c) (3) determination letter, even though it does not intend to apply for an IRS determination. www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits. Government entities, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher learning do not qualify as CBOs. However, these entities may be the primary applicant or an additional collaborator on the applicant team. New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law, defines “overburdened community” as any census block group, as determined in accordance with the most recent United States Census, in which: (1) at least 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income households; (2) at least 40 percent of residents identify as minority or as members of a State recognized tribal community; or (3) at least 40 percent of the households have limited English proficiency. N.J.S.A 13:1D-158.
- Encouraged: Applicants may collaborate with additional entities, including for-profit or non-profit entities, to design and implement the training program.
In addition to the eligibility parameters already stated above, the primary applicant must also be in substantial good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to participate in the program. The primary applicant must provide a current tax clearance certificate as part of the application from the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Certificates may be requested through the State of NJ Premier Business Services (PBS) portal online at: https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp
Applicants must submit proposals that include:
- A compelling plan to develop or expand a program that will allow New Jerseyans to access workforce opportunities in the offshore wind industry by providing tangible skill development and/or job-readiness training. Components of programs must include direct workforce training/skill development, and, where relevant, support services such as: access to career services, mentorship, family services, counseling, transportation, etc. Proposed initiatives must focus on one or more of the following occupation areas as defined by the Standard Occupation Codes System (SOC):
- Operations Specialties Managers (SOC 11-3000)
- Construction Trade Workers (SOC 47-5000)
- Extraction Workers (SOC 47-5000)
- Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (SOC 49-9000)
- Assemblers and Fabricators (SOC 51-2000)
- Metal Workers and Plastic Workers (SOC 51-4000)
- Plant and System Operators (SOC 51-8000)
- Other Production Occupations (SOC 51-9000)
- Water Transportation Workers (SOC 53-5000)
- Material Moving Workers (SOC 53-7000).
- A compelling plan to engage with industry and other stakeholders to design and implement a program that prepares and/or connects participants with job opportunities in offshore wind.
- A compelling plan to develop and/or utilize outreach; recruitment practices; program design approaches; and wraparound supports, as needed, such as mentorship, transportation, and childcare that target and support a diverse and inclusive pool of training participants to successfully complete the program.
- A compelling plan to execute the project efficiently and on schedule, achieving well-defined milestones to complete the proposed initiative.
- Program budget using NJEDA’s template (the template is available on the program website), that clearly lists the requested grant amount, other sources of funding if applicable, and itemized costs to develop and deliver the program.
- A signed letter from the applicant’s CBO collaborator confirming their role in the proposed initiative, or if applicable, a signed letter from the primary applicant confirming their status as a Community-Based Organization.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted during a competitive application round, after which all complete applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee. NJEDA staff will review all applications for completeness. The application portal will be open from December 8, 2022 at 10 a.m. to February 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. All interested applicants must complete and submit their applications online through the portal by the deadline to be considered for the Grant Challenge. The application can be found at: www.njeda.gov/offshore-wind-workforce-and-skills-development-grant-challenge/
Following the completeness review, applicants with missing documentation will receive an email notification from NJEDA and will have five business days to submit any missing or incomplete documentation. NJEDA staff may also request clarifying information from applicants and such information must also be received within five business days of the date of request or the response may be rejected. Applicants should submit missing documentation electronically to WindInstitute@njeda.com with the email subject line “Offshore Wind Workforce Challenge – Missing Documentation Submission [APPLICANT NAME]”.
After the five business days, any application that is not complete will not be evaluated. Only complete applications will be evaluated and scored. Applications will be evaluated by an evaluation committee comprised of staff from NJEDA. Staff from the DLWD and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education will serve as subject matter experts (SMEs) and advise the evaluation committee.
The evaluation committee will evaluate, score and rank applications received based on five primary criteria:
- Ability to meet the needs of the offshore wind industry (up to 35 points);
- Ability to serve NJ’s Overburdened Communities (up to 10 points);
- Ability to provide wraparound supports and affordable training (up to 15 points);
- Prior experience and ability to implement the program (up to 30 points); and
- Resources required (up to 10 points)
To be considered for an award, an application must receive a minimum score of 80 points.
Grant Amounts
Eligible applicants can propose an initiative with required funding of no less than $100,000 and no more than $1,000,000. NJEDA anticipates making multiple awards through this challenge. NJEDA may opt to request revisions to the proposed budgets or scopes accordingly. The protocol will be as follows: NJEDA will allocate funding to the top scoring proposals within the funding cap of $3,725,000. If the next highest scoring proposal over 80 points has a budget request that brings the total allocation higher than the funding cap, NJEDA may request that next highest scoring applicant to revise their budget and/or scope to fit within the funding cap.
Eligible Uses
Grant funds will be disbursed to the winning applicants to support planning and implementation. Eligible uses of grant funding include costs associated with planning (e.g., staff costs for program development), soft launch (e.g., outreach and recruitment materials and related costs), capital costs (e.g., procurement, construction or renovation of program space, equipment, and material purchases), and/or implementation costs (e.g., instructor time, facility fees, participant equipment or materials, delivery of support services). No more than ten percent of the grant amount may be used on indirect costs such as general administration and other general operating expenses. Applicants must provide a detailed budget that demonstrates how the grant will be used to cover all costs.
Disbursement
The grant will be disbursed according to the following milestones:
- 50 percent of the grant will be disbursed upon execution of a grant agreement between NJEDA and the selected applicant.
- 25 percent of the grant will be disbursed upon the applicant’s submission of the mid-program report, the exact timing to be determined based on the grantee’s implementation plan and reflected in the grant agreement.
- 25 percent of the grant amount will be disbursed upon the launch of the program (for applicants seeking funds for program design) or completion of the grant period, which is expected to be no later than two years following the date of the grant agreement execution (for applicants seeking funds for program implementation).
Additional Information
Entities interested in collaborating on an applicant team may submit an optional Potential Collaborator Form by December 14, 2022 at 5:00PM to windinstitute@njeda.com. All completed forms will be shared with all entities that submit such forms.
Questions regarding the Grant Challenge may be submitted via email to windinstitute@njeda.com by January 11, 2023 at 5:00 PM with the subject line “Questions – NJ Offshore Wind Workforce Grant Challenge”. Answers will be posted on the Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge website on a rolling basis.
Comprehensive information about the Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge is available at https://www.njeda.gov/offshore-wind-workforce-and-skills-development-grant-challenge/
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications to the Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program (Pilot Clean Program). Applications to the Pilot Clean Program shall be submitted using CSIT’s online application portal. The pre-application portal will be open from Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 10AM to Friday December 30, 2022, at 5PM EST. The full application portal will be open from Monday, December 12, 2022, at 10AM to Friday February 3, 2023, at 5PM EST. Access to the application portal can be found on the CSIT’s Program page https://www.njeda.gov/pilot-clean-tech-demonstration-grant-program/
Purpose
This grant opportunity is issued by CSIT in collaboration with NJEDA, seeking applications from qualified applicants for Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program (Pilot Clean Program) to support New Jersey based companies accelerate the commercialization and deployment of innovative clean energy technologies.
Overview
The Pilot Clean Program has a total budget of $2,500,000 for awards. Funding for the program is provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU). The Pilot Clean Program will be implemented by the CSIT and administrative and technical support will be provided by NJEDA staff. The goal of the Pilot Clean Program is to support New Jersey based companies to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of innovative clean energy technologies by demonstrating capabilities in a real-world setting. Companies must be developing or testing clean technologies intended to avoid emissions of, or recapture of, greenhouse gases and/or criteria pollutants, or to enable such avoidance or recapture.
The Pilot Clean Program is for companies developing or testing clean technologies intended to avoid emissions of, or recapture, greenhouse gases and/or criteria pollutants or to enable such avoidance or recapture in the following target areas:
- Chemicals/Advance Materials
- Energy Distribution/Storage
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy Generation
- Green Buildings
- Transportation
- Waste Processing
- Water and Agriculture
Eligibility
Each applicant to the Pilot Clean Program must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application and throughout the review process:
- Authorized and in good standing to conduct business in New Jersey as evidenced by a current New Jersey tax clearance certificate.
- Have no more than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTE) as calculated on a 35-hour work week) at time of application.
- Have a minimum of two FTE.
- Fifty percent or more of the work of its employees, including founders and contractors, is conducted in New Jersey (calculated on an FTE basis of 35 hours per week).
- The Pilot Clean Program project must be conducted in New Jersey and is defined as the core project posed by the applicant.
- Applicant has less than five million dollars in previous calendar year sales revenue.
- The proposed project must be between TRL 6 (Prototype System Verified) to TRL 8 (System Incorporated in Commercial Design).
Program Details
Eligible applicants can propose a project of up to 24 months in duration and with a maximum budget of $250,000. Applicants have an opportunity to request a three-month no cost extension, which CSIT may approve at its sole discretion. The Pilot Clean Program funds are intended for specific clean tech/clean energy-related demonstration project (Project). All expenses submitted as part of the budget proposal must be specifically related to the particular Project for which this grant is sought.
The following expense categories are ineligible for funding the Project:
- Marketing and customer discovery specific to the innovation
- Any expenditures incurred before the “Effective date” the date representing the last date of execution of the grant agreement
- Fees related to conferences or events.
In addition, no more than 10 percent of the budget proposed for the Project, in the aggregate, may be spent on intellectual property patent prosecution and licensing-related expenses.
Please note: CSIT reserves the right to make changes to budget submissions if there are any proposed ineligible expenditures outside the scope of the Pilot Clean Program.
Disbursement of funds
Funds will be dispersed when pre-determined milestones are reached. Each milestone will have deliverables, which must be submitted and approved by CSIT before receiving the funding for that specific milestone. Upon execution of the grant agreement, sixty percent of the approved project budget request will be disbursed. Thirty percent will be disbursed at the completion of the proposed milestones and the remaining ten percent upon completion of the project and acceptance of the final report.
Application Process
Applications to the Pilot Clean Program must be submitted using CSIT’s online application portal. Access to the application Portal can be found on the CSIT’s Program page (https://www.njeda.gov/about/Public- Information/CSIT).
The pre-application portal will be open from Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 10AM to Friday December 30, 2022, at 5PM EST. All applicants must begin their application by completing the pre-application portion of the application, including the letter of intent. CSIT will review the pre-application portion of the application and contact the applicant to review eligibility as required.
The full application portal will be open from Monday, December 12, 2022, at 10AM to Friday February 3, 2023, at 5PM EST. Once the pre-application has been reviewed with CSIT, applicants may move forward with the submission of a full application. A document completeness review will be done by CSIT on a rolling basis as applications are received.
All applications to the Pilot Clean Program must include the following documentation:
- Completed online application, including Budget and Milestone Proposals (link to Excel templates provided in the application and CSIT website https://www.njeda.gov/pilot-clean-tech-demonstration-grant-program/) and uploaded results from Technology and Readiness Technology Calculator Excel file (link to calculator provided in the application and CSIT website https://www.njeda.gov/pilot-clean-tech-demonstration-grant-program/).
- Letter of intent executed by and between the applicant and a Strategic Partner. A Strategic Partner is an entity that confirms willingness to support the pilot demonstration project and may receive of some of the funding as a demonstration site to support testing and validation of project.
- Employee information, as appropriate, for applicable company structure and staffing (i.e. most recent NJ WR-30 (W2 employees) or 1099 (contractors), Shareholder Agreement or K-1 or offer letters). Please note that if a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) is utilized, the applicant must submit confirmation of PEO-A form issued by the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL). These confirmations are issued on an annual basis and are valid for a year. See https://www.nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/leasing-companies/ for additional information on PEOs.
- Summary of most recent internal payroll, indicating each employee name, including founders, and number of hours worked per week.
- Most recent company tax filing, federal 941, and either an NJ-CBT-100 (Schedule A), Form- 1065 or Form -1040 (Schedule C), or whichever is applicable to the organizational form of the applicant’s business, showing the total gross receipts or sales for the year.
- Current New Jersey tax clearance certificate addressed to New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. See https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp. Certificates addressed to another state agency will be rejected.
- If applicable, copy of a New Jersey Women/Minority/Veteran-owned business certification https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry/Default/.
- Signed application certification.
- Completed CSIT Legal Debarment Questionnaire.
Applicants with missing documentation will be notified and given 10 business days to submit missing documents. Applicants should submit missing documentation electronically to csitcleandemo@njeda.com with the email subject line “Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program-Missing Documentation Submission – [Company Name].”
Applicants who have submitted complete applications will have an opportunity to hold a virtual presentation. Virtual presentations will not be scored and are optional.
Only complete applications will be evaluated and scored. After the Applicant’s Extension Time, any application that does not include ALL of the documents specified or contain documents that have not been completed will be considered incomplete and will not be evaluated. Full applications submitted with evidence of a pending request for documentation from a New Jersey agency will be considered complete for scoring purposes. However, missing documentation MUST be received prior to submission to the CSIT Board for approval of an award. An evaluation committee comprised of CSIT and NJEDA staff will review and assign a score to each application.
Evaluation Process
The evaluation committee, consisting of CSIT and NJEDA staff, will score each application against the basic and bonus point scoring criteria outlined below. As part of the process, all complete applicants will be invited to make a brief virtual presentation. The evaluation committee may contact applicants for clarification on their technical proposal or budget submissions. Please note these communications will be only for clarification purposes only. Applicants will not be allowed to submit any new information pertaining to their application. At the end of the review period, the CSIT Board will make final decision on grant winners.
Applicant grant winners will be required to execute a grant agreement outlining the funding amount, terms, and conditions of the grant. The initial grant funds disbursement will not be made until the execution of such grant agreement.
Scoring Criteria
All complete applications, will be evaluated and points will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- Innovation (up to 15 points)
- Market Opportunity (up to 15 points)
- Feasibility (up to 10 points)
- Economic & Environmental Impact (up to 10 points).
All complete applications will be evaluated and scored against the above criteria and assigned a score. To be considered for an award, the application must receive an aggregate minimum score of 30 points on the above criteria.
Bonus points may be awarded to applicants that meet the minimum score of 30 points as follows:
- New Jersey Certified women-owned business (10 points)
- New Jersey Certified minority-owned business (10 points)
- New Jersey Certified veteran- owned business (10 points)
- Application using technology initially developed at a New Jersey university, under an executed license agreement (5 points)
- Primary place of business/research and development located within an opportunity zone eligible census tract or government restricted municipality (5 points).
Additional Terms and Conditions
As part of the review process, CSIT conducts sister-agency checks with the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on all completed applications. To be eligible for an award, applicants must be in good standing with both DOL and DEP.
Grant awardees must agree that its employees, including founders and consultants, will conduct at least 50 percent of the company’s work (calculated on an FTE basis) in New Jersey for a period of three years from the effective date of the grant agreement. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the applicant make full re-payment of the grant award within sixty days or as otherwise stated in the grant agreement.
Grant awardees must commit to reporting economic impact data to CSIT upon the completion of program for a period of five years pursuant to the grant agreement.
Grant awardees shall commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA/BPU alumni activities such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews about Program experience.
Questions and Answers
Questions concerning this Notice of Funding Availability will be accepted through the application deadline and should be submitted via e-mail to csitcleandemo@njeda.com. The subject line of the e-mail should state: “Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program.”
CSIT will host a Webinar on the Program. Applicants will also have an opportunity to ask questions at that time. (https://www.njeda.gov/pilot-clean-tech-demonstration-grant-program/)
All questions received and answers provided in response to this Notice of Funding Availability will be answered in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document, which will be posted and continuously updated on CSIT’s website. (https://www.njeda.gov/pilot-clean-tech-demonstration-grant-program/)
Confidentiality
Applications will be reviewed by staff of CSIT, NJEDA and NJBPU, together with the subject matter experts. All proposals will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to, a request pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If an applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant.
New Jersey Child Care Facility Improvement Program
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA or Authority) expects to launch an online application for the NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Program – Phase 1 at 10 a.m. on November 15, 2022 at https://www.njeda.gov/child-care-improvement-program. NJEDA will begin the review process for applications on a first come, first reviewed basis from when they are initially submitted, beginning from the date and time the program application is open to the public and until all funding is committed, or three (3) years after the date of application launch, whichever is sooner. Applications will move through several stages of review with ongoing communication between NJEDA staff and the applicant on a rolling basis.
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Purpose
The NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Program – Phase 1 provides grants between $50,000 and $200,000 to licensed New Jersey child care centers for facilities improvements that will contribute to high quality early childhood learning environments. Child care providers may propose interior and exterior facility improvements to enhance the quality of their program and receive funding to cover the full costs of the project.
Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the child care sector as a critical enabler of economic activity and recovery. Working families require reliable, safe, affordable, accessible, and quality child care. However, the child care sector – both in New Jersey and across the nation – faces complex challenges as the economy recovers.
In July 2021, the legislature passed and Governor Murphy signed S3990 into law as P.L. 2021, c. 114, which appropriated $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) funds to support child care providers and the child care workforce through a number of initiatives, including providing grants for facilities improvements, technical assistance, workforce development supports, and a study of the child care landscape in the state. NJEDA received $54.5 million for grants for facility improvements and to provide technical assistance to child care providers. This program will also use $4.45 million in state funds appropriated in the fiscal year 2022 budget to support child care facility improvements. In Phase 1 of the Child Care Facilities Improvement Program, $14.45 million of combined state and federal funds is available with the ability to increase up to $24.45 million based on demand.
Program Details
The grants in Phase 1 are to help licensed child care centers create high-quality learning environments by covering the full costs of interior or exterior improvements. The funding for Phase 1 is only open to licensed child care centers. Registered family child care providers (FCCs), also known as family child care homes, are not eligible for funding in Phase 1.
In line with Governor Murphy’s commitment to the child care sector, the purpose of the grant is to support New Jersey child care providers to make improvements to their child care facility in order to:
- Support child care businesses – including many minority- and women-owned businesses and those in Opportunity Zone eligible census tracts – that normally don’t have access to funding for facility improvements and allow providers to free up funds otherwise dedicated to facilities for other uses.
- Target resources to communities of greater need due to historic disinvestment, through set-aside for providers located in Opportunity Zones and include the requirement that providers serve low-income children receiving support from the Child Care Assistance Program.
- Promote developmentally- and age-appropriate environments, and support providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to remain viable and available to serve families and children.
- Engage providers to participate in Grow NJ Kids (GNJK), New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) to potentially increase reimbursement rates for subsidy-eligible children.
Up to 40 percent of total grant funding made available in Phase 1 of the Program will be reserved for eligible applicants in Opportunity Zone eligible census tracts.
Eligibility
During Phase 1, only licensed child care centers are eligible. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be child care centers licensed by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) as of June 4, 2021 and offer full-time care for six hours or more per day for at least 10 months of the year.
- Applicants may be for-profit businesses or non-profit organizations.
- Applicants may own or lease their space.
- Currently enroll, or have enrolled in the 12 months prior to the date of application, at least one child receiving support through the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Departments of:
- Labor and Workforce Development
- Environmental Protection
- Treasury (Division of Taxation)
- Children and Families
- Human Services.
- Not be debarred from receiving federal funds as indicated through the federal System for Award Management (SAM).
- If not already enrolled in Grow NJ Kids (GNJK), the NJ Quality Rating and Improvement System, applicants must commit to enroll within one year of executing a grant agreement with the NJEDA.
- Commit to maintaining their license with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide care at the location of the facility improvement project for at least four years following the execution of a grant agreement with the NJEDA.
- Applications will be limited to one application per DCF-licensed child care center (based on license number, which is licensed at a child care center site location level) and two applications per Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Eligible Uses
Under the NJ Child Care Facility Improvement Program – Phase 1, grants may be used for prospective hard costs, soft costs, and/or furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) associated with eligible facilities improvements. Projects may include interior and exterior improvements and a complete list of eligible uses can be found here. No more than 20 percent of a grant may be used to support soft costs, which for this program are limited to architect fees, permit fees, construction management, freight and shipping delivery, and environmental assessment.
Grants will cover the full project cost of the facility improvement(s), with a minimum eligible project cost of $50,000 and a maximum eligible project cost of $200,000 per DCF-licensed child care center. Applicants may not use external funding sources to fund the specific project(s) proposed in this application. Grant awards will be calculated based on the quoted project cost of the facility improvement, plus an additional 15 percent, which the grantee may use, upon request and NJEDA verification, for unanticipated cost overruns.
All facility improvement projects must be conducted by New Jersey Department of Labor Registered Public Works Contractors, which must abide by state prevailing wage and affirmative action requirements and be registered at SAM.gov.
Grant Amounts
The minimum grant amount is $50,000 with a maximum award of $200,000 per Department of Children and Families licensed child care center, plus an additional 15 percent, which the grantee may use, upon request and NJEDA verification, for unanticipated cost overruns.
Application Process
Online applications will be accepted and reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis from the date and time the program application is open to the public. Applications will be accepted until all funding is exhausted or three years after the date of application launch, whichever is sooner.
Fees
Due to financial hardship experienced by child care providers during and emerging from the pandemic, as well as in recognition of the fact that the child care industry operates under extremely thin profit margins for which any of the Authority’s conventional fees could restrict the ability of child care facilities to access this funding, no fees will be collected by the Authority for this program.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Program – Phase 1 is available at www.njeda.gov/child-care-improvement-program.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA or Authority) will begin accepting applications from qualified vendors for the second phase of the New Jersey Zero-Emission Incentive Program (NJ ZIP) pilot at 10:00 AM Eastern on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. The deadline to apply is 8:00 PM Eastern on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The application can be assessed at www.njeda.gov/njzip. A fee of $1,000 is due at time of application.
Purpose
The purpose of NJ ZIP is to help New Jersey-based companies accelerate adoption of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by reducing the upfront capital cost through the provision of vouchers. The adoption of ZEV will help reduce emissions statewide. Additionally, this second phase of the NJ ZIP pilot will allow NJEDA to stimulate and assess market-readiness as well as determine and foster the economic impact of ZEV adoption moving forward.
Overview
This second phase of the NJ ZIP pilot will ultimately approve and reserve voucher funding to support Purchaser Applicants who meet a set of eligibility criteria, and whose selected vehicles, approved vehicle vendors, and vehicle use case qualify. This second phase of the pilot is for commercial, industrial, or institutional organizations with vehicle operations in the state of New Jersey that are purchasing medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs, and for the approved vendors of such products. As noted above this NOFA is for NJ ZIP vendor applicants only. The application for New Jersey businesses and institutions to apply for voucher funding to support the purchase of ZEVs will open at a future date and will be announced via a separate NOFA.
Program Details
The NJ ZIP pilot is a first-come, first-serve voucher program focused on incentivizing the adoption of ZEVs by New Jersey businesses and institutions. The Authority’s use of this funding is aligned with its core mission, to foster sustainable and equitable economic growth – in this case, in the commercial-use ZEV ecosystem and value chain within the State. It is also aligned with the State’s broader clean transportation goals – to transition 75 percent of medium- and 50 percent of heavy-duty vehicles to zero emission by 2050 supported by incentive programs. See the New Jersey Energy Master Plan (Goal 1.1.8).
Eligibility
As noted above this NOFA is for NJ ZIP pilot Vendor Applicants only. The application for New Jersey businesses and institutions to apply for voucher funding to support the purchase of ZEVs (Purchaser Applicants) will open at a future date and will be announced via a separate NOFA.
To be eligible for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot, a Purchaser Applicant must:
- Be a commercial, industrial, or institutional organization registered to do business in New Jersey. As defined in the Global Warming Solutions Fund regulation (N.J.A.C. 7:27D-1.2), “institutional” means serving a non-profit or public purpose such as a library, hospital, public school, institution of higher education, municipal utility, public recreation or cultural facility, or government entity. The term “government entity” includes local and municipal government entities, but for the purposes of this pilot, State government entities are not eligible.
- Provide a valid New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate and/or other documentation deemed acceptable by the Authority, as applicable, to demonstrate business registration or ability to conduct operations in New Jersey.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
- Satisfy the Authority’s debarment/disqualification review, not be in default under any Authority program, and not have any outstanding obligations to the Authority.
- Be the prospective vehicle owner at time of application, and be the vehicle owner throughout the compliance period
To be eligible for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot, the Purchaser Applicant’s proposed vehicle(s) must be:
- A new zero-emission Class 2b – Class 8 (GVWR 8,501 lbs. – 33,000+ lbs.) vehicle, used for commercial, industrial, or institutional purposes. Retrofits and repowers of pre-owned vehicles are not eligible.
- All ZEVs, defined as “a vehicle that emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power, such as particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of nitrogen”, are eligible for vouchers. This includes, but is not limited to, battery-electric (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell-electric (FCEV) vehicles.
- Purchased, delivered, and registered in compliance with the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission (NJMVC) within 12 months of receipt of the voucher approval letter. Proof of intent to purchase at time of application is required for eligibility. An extension for up to an additional six months may be permitted, as described below.
- Not the subject of any other State or federal funding for the same vehicle(s).
- Procured from an approved vendor (detailed in the following section).
Note: Vehicle scrappage is not mandated by this program EXCEPT in the case that the new vehicle is replacing a vehicle model year 2009 or earlier. For consistency with prior State programs, “scrappage” is defined within the DEP’s Volkswagen (VW) Settlement funded grant program as rendering the vehicle inoperable and available for recycle; at a minimum, to cut a 3-inch hole in the engine block and disable the chassis by cutting the vehicle’s frame rails complete in half. Vehicles that are not replacements (i.e., ZEV purchased are for new use cases or to expand a fleet) or are replacing a model year 2010 or later DO NOT have to comply with scrappage requirements. Information on any vehicle replacements will be requested within the application to determine scrappage requirements and support Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)-metric reporting on avoided emissions.
To be eligible for the second phase of NJ ZIP pilot, a vehicle Vendor Applicant must:
- Provide proof of a minimum of 12 months of experience selling or manufacturing eligible zero-emission vehicles.
- Be registered to conduct business in New Jersey, as demonstrated by a valid New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
- Satisfy the Authority’s debarment/disqualification review, not be in default under any Authority program, and not have any outstanding obligations to the Authority.
- Offer at least one eligible vehicle and provide required vehicle-associated documentation, including but not limited to:
- Listing information related to the vehicles, such as via vendor website, inclusive of vehicle images, descriptions, and sale cost.
- A specification sheet outlining all major components, corroborating vehicle capabilities, charging/fueling needs, design appropriate to proposed use, and eligibility.
- Certification from the manufacturer that the vehicle complies with all applicable state and federal requirements for operation, including the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
- Standard warranty for the eligible vehicle(s), indicating at least three years or 50,000 miles of coverage, whichever comes first, covering parts (at a minimum, motor, drive train, and batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.) and labor. May be updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Typical delivery plan and timeline, updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Proof of intent to purchase eligible vehicle(s) on a per-purchaser basis
- In-state servicing plan for maintenance of vehicles aligned with industry norms and current best practices implemented before vehicle delivery. May be updated on a per-purchaser basis.
- Standard charging or fueling plan development methodology, updated on a per-purchaser basis to address such purchaser’s needs, providing clarity on, but not limited to, the anticipated count, type, capacity, and location of chargers/fueling stations necessary for the vehicle(s).
- Agree to accept the program’s terms and conditions as laid out in the grant agreement, including but not limited to:
- Accept the program’s voucher towards Purchaser Applicants’ vehicle payments, deducting the vehicle’s voucher amount from the upfront cost.
- Engage with EDA’s selected technical assistance provider, potentially including in-person events when mutually agreed to.
Other terms and conditions: By accepting the voucher funding, purchaser applicants and vendor applicants will also agree to the following terms:
- Purchaser Applicant will register the vehicle in the State of New Jersey for a minimum of the three continuous years.
- Purchaser Applicant will annually operate at least 75 percent of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the State of the New Jersey.
- NJEDA’s right to audit and verify compliance with eligibility requirements post-voucher redemption, and agree to provide responses and data upon request to support such audits and verifications. For example, to verify vehicle miles traveled within the eligible overburdened communities, NJEDA may require data such as but not limited to telematics, route maps, delivery histories, etc.
- Permit NJEDA Purchaser Applicant information, Vendor Applicant information, and vehicle data and information provided in the application and audit process, that is not otherwise prohibited by law, for case studies and to support the development of future programs.
- Purchaser Applicant will commit to displaying a visual indication on the commercial vehicle that it is a ZEV and that its purchase was subsidized through this program, as materially provided by NJEDA (e.g., a bumper sticker, placard, etc.).
Pilot Program Voucher Funding Levels
Voucher funding amounts are based on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) laid out in the table below:
Voucher GVWR | Vehicle Class | Voucher Amount |
8,501-10,000 lbs | Class 2B | $20,000 |
10,001-14,000 lbs | Class 3 | $50,000 |
14,001-16,000 lbs | Class 4 | $65,000 |
16,001-19,500 lbs | Class 5 | $75,000 |
19,501-26,000 lbs | Class 6 | $90,000 |
26,001-33,000 lbs | Class 7 | $135,000 |
33,001+ lbs | Class 8 | $175,000 |
These voucher amounts are based on industry research with subject matter experts through procured consultant, Guidehouse, benchmarked against other states’ current, prior, and proposed programs, and verified with outreach from stakeholders. These values represent, based on current range of estimated ZEV costs, approximately 75 – 110 percent of the incremental cost of ZEV compared to similar internal combustion engine vehicles, bringing the ZEV closer to or at upfront cost parity for trucks. Through the same research, ZEV buses were identified as having a much larger upfront cost compared to diesel bus alternatives. These base voucher amounts would not meet the incremental cost of a ZEV bus, thus the need for additional voucher funding.
In order to address stakeholder-identified barriers and to further incentivize activity aligned with the Authority’s mission, Purchaser Applicants may be eligible and apply for increased per-vehicle voucher bonuses through documentation of any of the following:
- Certified woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned business bonus: A four percent increase in the base voucher amount per vehicle per qualifying New Jersey State woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned business certification
- Small business bonus: A 25 percent increase of the base voucher amount per vehicle.
- For the purposes of this program, a small business is defined as having 25 or fewer full time employees in total OR less than $5 million in annual revenue.
- New Jersey manufacturing bonus: A 25 percent increase of base voucher amount per vehicle will be available if the Vendor Applicant can document (for example, but not limited to, through price sheets and hourly rates) that 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle is spent in New Jersey on labor for vehicle design, assembly, and/or manufacturing or cost of components produced in New Jersey.
- Environmental justice bonus: A ten percent increase of base voucher amount per vehicle to small business applicants or municipalities who commit to driving in environmentally overburdened communities. To be eligible, Purchaser Applicants must demonstrate in a manner acceptable to the Authority, annual operation of 50 percent or more of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) OR registration and domicile within an overburdened community census tract for a minimum of three continuous years from the date of registration.
- School Bus bonus: A 25 percent increase in base voucher amount per vehicle if the Purchaser Applicant is purchasing a school bus. Those receiving a benefit under P.L. 2022, c. 86 are not eligible under this program.
These bonuses may be stacked, and the Applicant may be eligible for multiple bonuses .
Purchaser Applicants may apply for more than one vehicle voucher within the same application. The total funding per vehicle may equal but may not exceed the cost of the vehicle. The total funding reserved for a Purchaser Applicant (as determined by EIN) through vouchers inclusive of any qualifying bonuses, cannot exceed $3,000,000, to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
All disbursements will be subject to availability of funding.
The total RGGI-funded NJ ZIP pilot budget will be $46,575,000. Of the total program budget, $45,000,000 will be reserved to fund vouchers, utilizing the following allocations:
- $15,000,000 will be set-aside for small businesses
- $15,000,000 will be set-aside for overburdened community applications.
The remainder of voucher funding will be un-allocated.
Application Process:
The Vendor Application will open at 10:00 AM Eastern on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. The deadline to apply is 8:00 PM Eastern Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The application, once live, can be accessed at www.njeda.gov/njzip.
Upon closure of the application period, the Authority will review Vendor Applications for completeness; applicants that submitted incomplete applications will be provided the opportunity to submit missing information within ten business days.
Purchaser applications are expected to open in early 2023.
Fees: Vendors will be assessed an application fee of $1,000 per application.
Additional Information:
Additional information on the NJ ZIP may be found at https://www.njeda.gov/njzip
NEW JERSEY COMMISSION ON SCIENCE, INNOVATION, AND TECHNOLOGY
Notice of Funding Availability
Round 4, Direct Financial Assistance Grant for Businesses Engaged in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) Federal Programs
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) expects to launch an online application for the Direct Financial Assistance Grant for Businesses Engaged in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Federal Programs at 9:00 am on October 3, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit. The application will be open through November 14, 2022 at 5pm. This is a competitive grant. No fees will be charged for this program. Decisions on this grant award are expected to be made by the CSIT Board by January 2023.
The Direct Financial Assistance Grant for Businesses Engaged in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Federal Programs has a total budget of $1,000,000 and will offer two grant components:
- $25,000 Direct Funding for 20 SBIR/STTR Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II award/contract winners (“Direct Funding”).
- $50,000 Bridge Funding for 10 SBIR/STTR Phase II applicants (“Bridge Funding”).
Applicants to the Round 4, CSIT Direct Financial Assistance SBIR/STTR Program may only apply for one component (either a Direct Funding or Bridge Funding). CSIT reserves the right to reallocate funds between the two components of the Direct Financial Assistance programs.
Purpose
The purpose of the CSIT established SBIR/STTR support program in New Jersey, is to enhance the State’s innovative economy by providing technical and financial support to small businesses seeking to or participating in the Federal SBIR/STTR program. These are highly competitive three-phase award programs, which provide qualified small businesses opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet the specific research and development needs of the Federal government. The goals of the programs are to:
- Stimulate technological innovation
- Meet Federal research and development needs
- Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged populations
- Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding.
Direct Funding for SBIR/STTR Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II Federal Applicants:
Phase I of the Federal SBIR/STTR program is intended to establish technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed research and development efforts. Federal Phase I awards normally do not exceed $150,000 in total costs for six months. To help New Jersey Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II award/contract winners increase intensity of research, strengthen commercialization plans, cover operational expenses, and become more competitive for Phase II funding, CSIT will provide a grant of $25,000 to New Jersey small businesses that receive a Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II award/contract. The grant funding is intended to reduce the financial burden on these growing small businesses and improve their chances of applying and winning Phase II awards. The grant will be flexible to help cover general operational expenses.
Bridge Funding for Phase II Federal Applicants:
The gap between application and award notice for Phase II of the Federal SBIR/STTR program can be up to six months and it is during this period that small businesses often struggle to secure funding and maintain operations. CSIT will offer funding of $50,000 to New Jersey small businesses that have successfully completed Phase I of Federal SBIR/STTR program and have applied for Phase II funding. The funding is intended to enable these businesses to maintain operations while waiting on Phase II awards.
Overview
Overall, the SBIR/STTR Direct Financial Assistance Grant Program has three objectives; all of which help grow the innovation economy in New Jersey:
i. Increase the success rate of New Jersey grant applicants seeking Federal funding for SBIR/STTR programs.
ii. Reduce the financial burden for small New Jersey companies that have won Phase 1, a SBIR/STTR Fast Track or a Direct to Phase II award of the Federal SBIR/STTR program.
iii. Increase success and maximize growth of small New Jersey companies in moving from Phase I to Phase II of the SBIR/STTR Federal program.
Program Details
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with awards going to the highest scoring applicants. All materials must be submitted after October 3, 2022 at 9 am and before the grant application deadline on November 14, 2022 at 5:00pm.
Each approved grant will be valid for a period of 12 months starting from date of the execution of the grant agreement.
Eligibility
All applicants must meet eligibility criteria at time of application and must maintain eligibility during the period of application review in order to be considered for an award.
Applicants should send a notification to csitsbir@njeda.com if there are any changes to their eligibility status after submission of an application and prior to any award notification.
Eligibility requirements must also be maintained during the grant term for awarded applicants and will be specified in the grant agreement.
To Be Eligible Direct Funding for Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II Federal Awardees Must:
- Provide a current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- Have a minimum of one full-time employee (working a minimum of 35-hours per week). A founder can be counted as an employee; an employee may be paid or unpaid.
- Fifty percent or more of the cumulative hours worked by all employees, founders, and contractors must be conducted in New Jersey (as calculated on an full-time employee basis of 35 hours per week).
- The primary place of performance on the Federal SBIR/STTR grant or contract award is a New Jersey address.
- Be a recipient of a Federal SBIR/STTR Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II grant or contract award within the last two years prior to the issuance of this Notice of Funding Availability.
- The applicant cannot have been awarded more than five Federal SBIR/STTR grants or contracts (Phase I, Fast-track, Direct to Phase II combined) throughout the lifetime of the company.
- Certify compliance with the New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law, N.J.S.A. 52:13D-12, et. seq.
- Applicants must be in good standing with both DOL and DEP.As part of the review process, CSIT conducts sister agency checks with the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on all completed applications.
To Be Eligible Bridge Funding for Phase II Federal Applicants Must:
- Provide a current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- Have a minimum of one full-time employee (working a minimum of 35-hours per week). A founder can be counted as an employee; an employee may be paid or unpaid.
- Fifty percent or more of the cumulative hours worked by all employees, founders, and contractors must be conducted in New Jersey (as calculated on a full-time employee basis of 35 hours per week).
- The primary place of performance on the Federal Phase II SBIR/STTR project submission is a New Jersey address.
- Be a previous Federal SBIR/STTR Phase I grant or contract award recipient within the last two years prior to the issuance of this Notice of Funding Availability that has successfully completed a Phase I Federal SBIR/STTR program, submitted a Phase II SBIR/STTR application, and not yet received a Federal response on their Phase II application.
- The applicant cannot have been awarded more than five Federal SBIR/STTR grants or contracts (Phase I, Fast-track or Direct to Phase II combined) and four Federal Phase II SBIR/STTR grants or contracts throughout the lifetime of the company.
- Certify compliance with the New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law, N.J.S.A. 52:13D-12, et. seq.
- Applicants must be in good standing with both DOL and DEP.As part of the review process, CSIT conducts sister agency checks with the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on all completed applications.
Scoring Criteria
All complete applications will be scored against the scoring criteria listed below and a summary of scored applications will be forwarded to the CSIT Program Committee. The Program Committee will review scored applications and make funding recommendations to the CSIT Board. The CSIT Board will make the final decision on grant winners.
- Percentage of employees in New Jersey (up to 20 points1).
- Primary place of business/research and development (R&D) located within an Opportunity Zone census tract or primary place of business/R&D located within Trenton, Paterson, or Atlantic City (15 points).
- Company with technology that came out of any New Jersey university with an executed license agreement (15 points).
- First time applying for a CSIT Direct Funding or Bridge Funding grant (10 points).
- First time federal SBIR/STTR awardees (direct funding)/ first time federal Phase II submitters (bridge funding) (10 points)
- New Jersey Certified Women-owned Business (10 points).
- New Jersey Certified Minority-owned Business (10 points).
- New Jersey Certified Veteran-owned Business (10 points).
1 (100 percent of employees in New Jersey = 20 points; between 75 percent and 99 percent = 15 points; between 50 percent and 74 percent =10 points; and less than 49 percent = 0 points.)
Eligible Uses
SBIR/STTR Direct Financial Assistance Grant Program funding can be used to maintain project activities and cover general operating costs.
Grant Amounts
Eligible applicants can receive grant awards of $25,000 for Direct Funding and $50,000 for Bridge Grants.
Application Process
The application will open at 9:00 am on October 3, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit and close on November 14, 2022 at 5:00 pm. In addition to the online application form, Direct Funding Grant applications for Phase I, Fast Track and Direct to Phase II winners must provide the following documentation:
- Copy of Federal Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II Award Letter/Contract from a participating Federal agency dated within the past two years of the issuance of this Notice of Funding Availability.
- Copy of the accepted Phase I, Fast Track or Direct to Phase II proposal submitted to participating Federal agency in response to a specific Federal solicitation.
- Employee information as appropriate for applicable company structure and staffing (i.e., most recent New Jersey WR-30 (for W2 employees) or 1099 (for contractors)); as well as a shareholder agreement, K-1, or offer letters. Please note that if a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) is utilized, the applicant must submit confirmation of PEO-A form issued by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. These confirmations are issued on an annual basis and are valid for one year. See https://www.nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/leasing-companies/ for additional information on PEOs.
- Summary of most recent internal payroll (Q2 2022 or Q3 2022) indicating each employee name and number of hours worked per week.
- Current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. See https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- If applicable, copy of Veteran-owned, Minority-owned, or Women-owned Business Certification. https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry/Default/.
- Completed application certifications.
- Completed CSIT legal debarment questionnaire.
In addition to the online application form, Bridge Funding for Phase II applicants shall provide the following documentation:
- Copy of Federal Phase I SBIR/STTR Award/Contract from a participating Federal agency dated within the past two years of the issuance of this Notice of Funding Availability.
- Copy of the Phase I final report and confirmation of agency acceptance.
- Proof of Federal Phase II SBIR/STTR application submission: documentation showing that Phase II SBIR/STTR proposal has been submitted to and received by the participating Federal agency. Example:
- A copy of the Phase II SBIR/STTR proposal submitted to sponsoring agency and
- Written or electronic notification from the agency confirming date of proposal receipt.
- Employee information as appropriate for applicable company structure and staffing (i.e., most recent New Jersey WR-30 (for W2 employees) or 1099 (for contractors); as well as shareholder agreement, K-1, or offer letters. Please note that if a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) is utilized, the applicant must submit confirmation of PEO-A form issued by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. These confirmations are issued on an annual basis and are valid for one year. See https://www.nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/leasing-companies/ for additional information on PEOs.
- Summary of most recent internal payroll (Q2 2022 or Q3 2022) indicating each employee name and number of hours worked per week.
- Current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. See https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp. All certificates listing another state agency will be rejected.
- If applicable, copy of Veteran-owned, Minority-owned, or Women-owned Business Certification. https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry/Default/.
- Completed application certifications.
- Completed CSIT legal debarment questionnaire.
The following steps detail the application submission process:
- A document completeness review will be done on a rolling basis as applications are received.
- Applicants with missing documentation will be notified and given 10 business days to submit missing documents.
- After the missing documentation deadline, only complete applications will be evaluated and scored.
- A score will be assigned to each application.
- Grants will be awarded to the top 20 applications with the highest overall scores for Phase I Direct Funding awards.
- Grants will be awarded to the top 10 applications with the highest overall scores for Phase II Bridge awards.
Board Approval
The CSIT Board will make the final decision on grant award winners.
Fees
No fees will be collected by CSIT for this program.
Additional Information
Grant award agreements will require that the awardee’s employees and consultants conduct at least 50 percent of the company’s work (calculated on a full-time basis, 35 hours) in New Jersey for a period of three years from the effective date of the Grant Agreement. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the awardee make full re-payment of the grant award.
All grant awardees must report economic impact data to CSIT for a period of two years from the anniversary of the grant agreement completion of the project by submitting an Economic Impact Questionnaire provided by CSIT.
All grant awardees are asked to commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA alumni activities, such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews about program experience.
Confidentiality
Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of CSIT, NJEDA, participating universities/colleges, federal labs, and non-profit organizations. All applications submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to requests pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant as such.
Food Security Planning Grant Program
Notice of Funding Availability
REVISED AS OF NOVEMBER 16, 2022 EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
Revision clarifies application is open for 60 business days and therefore, closes December 20, 2022 at 5:00 PM.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA or Authority) hereby announces the availability of grant funding under the Food Security Planning Grant Program, with the purpose to serve as a pilot program to explore the potential for improving food access and food security in New Jersey’s designated Food Desert Communities (FDCs) by leveraging distressed assets.
The pilot planning grant program makes up to $1,500,000 available to competitively award grants up to $125,000 to municipal governments, county governments, and/or redevelopment agencies whose geographic catchment areas include an FDC.
Applications will open on September 27, 2022, at 10:00 am. Applications will be accepted for sixty business days after the opening of the application. Applications for this program will be accepted up to the closing date, December 20,2022 at 5:00 pm. Applications will be evaluated for completeness and scored by a committee of Authority staff. The highest scoring applications will be approved by the Chief Executive Officer of the NJEDA for funding.
A non-refundable fee of $1,000 shall accompany every application. An application fee waiver may be requested at the time of application for proposals led by municipalities or municipal authorities, boards, commissions, or other municipal entities ranked in the top 10 percent of the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI).
The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/food-security-planning-grant/.
Purpose
The Food Security Planning Grant Program will support the development of an action plan leveraging distressed assets located in FDCs across New Jersey to improve food access and food security.
For the Food Security Planning Grant program, a distressed asset shall be defined as a commercial building or series of buildings, its attachments, and appurtenances; or vacant land that is fully or partially vacant for at least one year, that due to deteriorated condition or appearance of its exterior (because of deferred maintenance such as deteriorated paint or overgrown vegetation, boarded up door and/or windows), can be leveraged to improve food access and food security.
Overview
This funding opportunity is issued as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s campaign to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey by investing in communities and to improve food access and food security for all Garden State residents. The Food Security Planning Grant program will fund development of plans that improve food access and food security in the FDCs by leveraging distressed assets.
Not having access to food, and more specifically nutritious food, has a direct impact on one’s health. For this reason, access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally relevant food is a key component not only in a healthy, sustainable local food system, but also in creating vibrant communities and building a stronger and fairer New Jersey. The Food Security Planning Grant Program is one tool that NJEDA will deploy to empower local governments and redevelopment agencies to develop and submit plans to improve food access while transforming distressed assets that have presented a hindrance to economic growth.
The Food Security Planning Grant funding allocated in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Act was assigned to the Economic Recovery Fund to create this planning grant program.
Eligibility
Eligibility under the program will be limited to the following entities whose geographic catchment areas include an FDC:
- New Jersey municipal governments,
- County governments, and
- Redevelopment agencies.
While the applicant may serve or have offices in a broader geographic area, proposals must be for a distressed asset located within the borders of an FDC.[1]
For the Food Security Planning Grant program, the proposed plan must be for an asset which meets the above-mentioned definition of a distressed asset, and the proposed plan must leverage a distressed asset within one of the 50 FDCs.
Along with their application, applicants must provide a letter of support from the office of the mayor or chief executive of the municipality where the asset is located and at least one letter of support from a stakeholder located within the boundaries of the FDC.
For a property owned by a New Jersey County, municipal government entity, independent agency, or authority, the applicant must provide a letter of support from the property owner or their designee for the proposed project; this must be signed by the chief executive of the government entity, independent agency or authority or their designee.
For a property owned by a private individual or by a non-governmental for-profit or non-profit entity, the applicant is required to provide a letter of support signed by the owner, co-owner, corporate officer, or their designee.
Proposals for directly owned New Jersey state land will not be considered.
A municipality, a county, or redevelopment agency may submit multiple applications in a lead role and can be included as a partner in additional applications where they play a non-lead role. A municipality, county, and redevelopment agency whose geographic catchment areas include an FDC may each submit a proposal focused on the same FDC but are strongly encouraged to coordinate and submit a single application.
Eligible Uses
The Food Security Planning Grant Program will support the development of action plans focused on improving food access and food security in newly designated FDCs across New Jersey by leveraging distressed assets. Applicants must have identified a distressed asset within the borders of a FDC to be eligible for this grant.
The proposed plan may include but are not limited to strategies such as:
- Identification and development of a community-based initiative/program or resource that improves access to affordable, fresh, and healthy produce and other food items.
- Determining cost-benefits of retrofitting, redeveloping, or regreening the distressed asset as it relates to food access and food security.
- Developing a plan to drive economic growth for the locality by implementing innovations around food access and food security solutions.
- Creating greater social, economic, and environmental sustainability by identifying ways to grow, process and sell fresh produce.
- Stakeholder engagement and facilitation to identify community desires and needs pertaining to food access and food security.
- The identification of appropriate additional funding sources to support community led re-use of one or more properties to support food access and food security.
- Feasibility study for a supermarket or food retailer.
Grant Amounts
The Food Security Planning Grant Program is a competitive grant program. Grant amounts will range from $75,000 to $125,000 and will be determined based on the Composite Food Desert Factor Score[2] for the FDC where the distressed asset is located:
- Applicants with a distressed asset in an FDC with a Composite Food Desert Factor Score between 86.5 – 63.9 will be eligible to receive an award of $125,000.
- Applicants with a distressed asset in an FDC with a Composite Food Desert Factor Score between 61.2 – 51.5 will be eligible to receive an award of $100,000.
- Applicants with a distressed asset in an FDC with a Composite Food Desert Score between 51.2 -24.1 will be eligible to receive an award of $75,000.
Application Process
Online applications will be accepted for a 60-day period from the date the application is opened to the public, which will be communicated to all potential applicants via the Authority’s website and social media accounts. Applications submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted or reviewed.
To apply, an applicant must register or log into the online application portal, complete all required application questions fully, and upload all required PDF document attachments. After the close of the application period, EDA staff will review all applications for completeness and respond with any necessary rectifications to the application. The applicant will have five business days to cure any deficiencies, or the application will be withdrawn. Applications deemed complete will be scored by a committee of EDA staff. Applications must meet a minimum score of 55 to be recommended for grant funding.
Each application must contain the following documents:
Required Application Information
- A full completed online application.
- Religious Activities questionnaire, if applicable.
- Signed Letter of Support from the Office of the Mayor or chief executive of the municipality where the asset is located.
- Signed Letter of Support from at least one stakeholder located within the boundaries of the FDC.
- Signed Letter of Support from the property owner of the distressed asset:
- For a property owned by a New Jersey County, municipal government entity, independent agency, or authority, the applicant must provide a letter of support from the property owner or their designee for the proposed project; this must be signed by the chief executive of the government entity, independent agency or authority or their designee.
- For a property owned by a private individual or by a non-governmental for-profit or non-profit entity, the applicant is required to provide a letter of support signed by the owner, co-owner, corporate officer, or their designee.
- Completed Legal Questionnaire.
- Application Fee or Fee Waiver Request.
Required Proposal Component of Application
- Distressed Asset Description.
- Plan Description/Specification/Statement of work
- Must identify current food security need and challenges in the FDC.
- Must identify opportunities for creating a viable and sustainable solution to improve food access and food security in the community.
- Must include emphasis on long term viability and adaptability of a given concept.
- Must identify and collaborate with other key stakeholders to create an inclusive plan.
- Workplan
- Must provide Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound (SMART) objectives in the work plan with a timeline.
- Must identify appropriate staff responsible for implementing each activity.
- Must describe goals/outcomes for each activity.
- Must clearly describe the timeline needed to implement each activity within the grant period.
- Organizational Capacity
- Demonstrate their ability to work effectively on a collaborative project with a state or federal agency or on a multi-stakeholder project.
- Must provide at least one example of working successfully within the FDC and with other collaborators.
- Must clearly state how this project aligns with and will impact applicant’s overall efforts to address the diverse food security and food access needs within the FDC they serve.
- Community Engagement
- Must demonstrate partnership and engagement with various stakeholders across different sectors to address community needs. This will be supported by a letter of support from community stakeholders.
- Must demonstrate prior experience working with community members, stakeholders, and/or advocates in addressing food insecurity.
- Must demonstrate efforts to ensure programs are built to promote social and economic equity.
- Must be able to consider and mitigate any past difficulties that created challenges for the asset selected.
- Should demonstrate experience in community redevelopment with focus on equitable redevelopment projects, community focused adaptive reuse or innovative food distribution concepts.
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Requested level of funding must be broken down line-by-line and its uses clearly illustrated in the budget narrative.
- Requested level of funding must be reasonable for proposed activities within the timeline.
- The 20 percent match requirement must be included.
Applications deemed complete will be scored by a committee of EDA staff. Applications that meet a minimum score of 55 points to be considered for an award.
Food Security Planning Grant is a competitive grant program. Applications will be evaluated and scored based on the following scoring criteria:
- Location of the distressed asset in the FDC (5 – 10 points).
- Plan description stating impact of the proposed plan on the distressed asset and the FDC (up to 20 points).
- Work plan that describes the project’s purpose and merits, which must address the specific needs or the FDC as it relates to improved food access and food security (up to 20 points).
- Organizational capacity of the applicant entity to successfully complete the project with meaningful outcome (up to 20 points).
- Community engagement (up to 20 points).
- Budget (up to 10 points).
Fees
A non-refundable fee of $1,000 shall accompany every application.
An application fee waiver may be requested at the time of application for proposals led by municipalities or municipal authorities, boards, commissions, or other municipal entities ranked in the top 10 percent of the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI). Applicants will self-identify in the application as a municipality or municipal government entity requesting a waiver. Staff will determine if the entity meets the criteria for a waiver. Eligible entities will be granted a waiver for the program. Ineligible entities will be notified and a cure in the form of fee payment will be requested to complete the application.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information on Food Desert Community Designation is available here.
Comprehensive information about the Food Security Planning Grant program is available here
[1] Most FDCs are not inclusive of the entire municipality, only parts of a municipality. Potential applicants can see if potential distressed assets are located within the boundaries of an FDC by viewing the FDC map at https://njdca.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=cd59d206f39c40a691d6ba38598134fb
[2] Composite factor scores are included in the list of FDC designations found at: https://www.njeda.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Food-Desert-Communities-Designation-Final-2-9-22.pdf
Main Street Micro Business Loan Program
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) expects to launch an online application for the Main Street Micro Business Loan Program at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6th at https://www.njeda.gov/microbusinessloan/. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis (first-come, first-served as applications are completed) until all funds are committed or program expires (three years). An application fee of $100 will be due at time of application and a $400 closing fee will be due after signing of the commitment letter.
Purpose
The Main Street Micro Business Loan will provide low-cost financing to New Jersey micro businesses in need of working capital to support future business operating expenses. This new pilot replaces the Micro Business Loan Program established in 2019.
Overview
On November 14, 2019, the NJEDA Board approved the creation of the Micro Business Loan Program as a pilot program utilizing $1 million from the NJEDA Economic Recovery Fund to make available loans of up to $50,000 to businesses that are: legally registered to do business in New Jersey and have a commercial location in New Jersey (no home-based businesses), with annual gross revenues of no more than $1.5 million (as demonstrated in the most recently filed federal tax return), and no more than 10 full-time employees at both time of application and three months prior. Under the Micro Business Loan Program, startup businesses were eligible, but were required to demonstrate either completion of an entrepreneurship training program or Small Business Development Center counseling sessions.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and financial hardships affecting New Jersey micro business owners, NJEDA staff recommended enhancements to the program which the NJEDA Board approved on June 9, 2020. Such enhancements included the elimination of fees and the inclusion of a loan forgiveness component to the program for forgiveness of 10 percent of the loan. On January 7, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 (ERA), P.L. 2021, c. 156, into law. The ERA presents a strong recovery and reform package that addresses the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERA positions New Jersey to build a stronger and fairer economy that invests in innovation, in our communities, and in our small businesses, along with the protections and oversight taxpayers deserve.
On July 2, 2021, Governor Murphy signed P.L. 2021 c.160 further improving the programs established under the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020. One of the programs under the ERA is the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, a small business support program under which individual financial assistance products are created. All of the individual financial assistance products share a common purpose of supporting the growth and success of small businesses in New Jersey. As of today, $150 million has been appropriated for the Main Street Recovery Fund, which funds products in the Main Street Recovery Finance Program. On August 11, 2021, the NJEDA Board approved the creation of special adopted rules creating the Main Street Recovery Finance Program.
Given the feedback from the business community and stakeholders as well as the effects of COVID-19 on micro businesses across New Jersey, staff requested to close the original Micro Business Loan pilot program and to introduce the Main Street Micro Business Loan, an enhanced pilot product within the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, with broadened eligibility and more flexible terms and enhanced forgiveness to support even more micro businesses.
Program Details
The Main Street Micro Business Loan will offer financing of up to $50,000 to micro businesses whose annual gross revenues are $1,500,000 or less and have 10 or fewer full-time employees at the time of application and three months prior to the date of application.
Eligible applicants include for-profit, nonprofit, and home-based businesses registered to do business in New Jersey with a business location (including a home office) in New Jersey. Entities must have been formed at least six months prior to the date of application, as evidenced by the date the business was formed in New Jersey. . The product offers a generous forgiveness option and does not require any collateral. The Main Street Micro Business Loan is a product of the Main Street Recovery Finance Program and is currently funded with a $20 million appropriation. Of the total funding amount, 40 percent will be reserved for micro businesses located in eligible Opportunity Zone census tracts (For information regarding Opportunity Zone census tracts go to: https://njeda.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=334118d138354b0d95763260aa8c55eb).
Eligibility
The following entities are eligible for financing under the Main Street Micro Business Loan:
- For-profit businesses, non-profits, and home-based businesses with a business location in New Jersey formed for at least six months prior to the date of application. NJEDA will conduct a New Jersey Business Entity Search Report.
- No real estate holding companies are eligible for this product.
All entities must meet the following requirements to be eligible under the Micro Business Loan:
- Must have annual gross revenues of $1,500,000 or less, according to the most recent federal tax return that the applicant was required to file. If an applicant has filed for an extension with the IRS on their 2021 federal tax return, it must be provided at time of application along with their last three previous tax returns. If an applicant hasn’t filed their federal tax return due to their length of operations, the NJEDA may request the applicant to provide additional information like financial reports or P&L reports to determine that revenue will not exceed $1.5 million for the year.
- At time of application and three months prior to application, the entity cannot have more than 10 full-time employees in total. All employees must work in New Jersey as evidenced by WR-30 filings. There is no minimum employee number and sole proprietors are eligible.
- Employer Identification Number (EIN). The program permits one loan per business entity. A business entity with multiple locations (that is, all locations operate under only one EIN) will be limited to one application.
- Must provide a current Tax Clearance Certification prior to receiving EDA approval. Directions for securing your tax clearance certificate (https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2aa0669b-b679-38c4-a4a8-9a4a5b9c1b1e) and please email BusinessAssistanceTC.Taxation@treas.nj.gov with issues or concerns.
- Be in substantial good standing with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Treasury.
- Complete a legal debarment questionnaire and not be subject to disqualification based on that questionnaire.
- Applicants and recipients of the original Micro Business Loan are eligible for this loan if they meet all eligibility requirements.
For for-profit businesses, the financial information provided will be utilized to verify annual revenue to determine an applicant’s eligibility and ownership. It will not be used to determine the applicant’s ability to repay this loan.
If otherwise eligible, staff will have a specialty hard credit report pulled specific for small businesses from CoreLogic Credco. At least one owner must have a credit score of 600 and above in at least one of the three data sources provided in the credit report: Equifax (Beacon 5.0), Experian (FICO II), and TransUnion (FICO Classic 04).
Non-profits will be required to meet a minimum Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) of 1.00x based on the most recent tax return or financial statements. Finally, prohibited businesses include, but are not limited to: gambling or gaming activities; the conduct or purveyance of “adult” (i.e., pornographic, lewd, prurient, obscene or otherwise similarly disreputable) activities, services, products or materials (including nude or semi-nude performances or the sale of sexual aids or devices); any auction or bankruptcy or fire or “lost-our-lease” or “going-out-of-business” or similar sales; sales by transient merchants, Christmas tree sales or other outdoor storage; any activity constituting a nuisance; or any illegal purposes.
Eligible Uses
Under the Main Street Micro Business Loan Program, funding shall be used to pay for future operating expenses. Eligible uses include future operating expenses which may be held as working capital to fund such future operating expenses, future inventory expenses, and future purchases of equipment (that does not require installation or construction work totaling more than $1,999.99). Home-based businesses cannot use loan for any residential costs (i.e., home mortgage/lease payments).
Ineligible Uses
Examples for which the Main Street Micro Business Loan funds cannot be used are the payment of personal, non-business obligations or costs incurred by related entities; construction to commercial or home-based businesses; equipment requiring installation or construction costs in excess of $1,999; rolling stock (such as cars, trucks, or vans).
Loan Amounts
The maximum loan amount is $50,000.
- Standard 10-year term.
- Two percent interest rate, set at approval.
- No payments or interest will accrue during the first year after closing. Payments of principal and interest will commence at the beginning of year two.
- No payment term amendments are allowed prior to end of fifth year. All other modifications unrelated to the payment terms may be permitted throughout the term of the loan.
- If after the fifth year any payment terms are modified, the entity will no longer be eligible for forgiveness.
- Applicants must continue to make their loan payments until forgiveness is awarded by NJEDA.
- At the end of year five, the applicant may be eligible for the loan balance to be forgiven if the applicant has: (1) made their loan payments as identified in their loan agreement with no delinquency of more than 90 days, (2) has no current default, (3) is still open and operating, and (4) has used the loan proceeds for approved purposes only.
- The applicant will be required to submit a certification form (included in their closing documents) at least 60 days prior to the end of the fifth year to certify that they have met the requirements for loan forgiveness.
- Applicants may still qualify for loan forgiveness if the certification form is received after the anniversary of year five, however, loan payments will continue to be required until the certification form is provided to and eligibility is verified by NJEDA.
- If, after submission of the form, NJEDA can verify eligibility, NJEDA will forgive the balance of the loan remaining either at the end of year five (if submitted 60 days prior to the end of the fifth year) or at the time the form is verified if submitted later.
- Should an applicant not be eligible for forgiveness or does not request forgiveness by submitting the certification form to NJEDA, the applicant will be required to continue making their payments as defined in their loan agreement.
Application Process
Fees
The Main Street Micro Business Loan Program will include a partial waiver of EDA’s standard application and closing fees because of the drastic negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on micro businesses. The non-refundable application fee due at the time of application is $100 and the closing fee is $400.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Main Street Micro Business Loan Program is available at https://www.njeda.gov/microbusinessloan/.
Click here for full PDF
New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications for the New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant at 10:00 a.m. EST July 26, 2022.The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/asset-activation-planning-grant. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis during a 90-day period starting on July 26, 2022 or until grant funding is exhausted. Asset Activation program has been allocated a funding pool of $400,000. Grant awards of up to $50,000 are made to plan for activation of underutilized or unutilized public properties.
Purpose
The New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant Program will provide grants for pre-development planning work to demonstrate viability and prepare implementation of projects that will activate public assets and contribute to the local community and regional economy.
Overview
A history of shifting economic and development paradigms in New Jersey has left an array of underutilized properties and infrastructure throughout state in urban, suburban, and rural communities alike. Former assets are now liabilities that no longer meet the needs of modern New Jerseyans and will require innovative development to activate their potential and contribute to the State’s economy in an equitable way.
On March 9, 2022, the NJEDA Board approved the creation of the New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant Program, which established the New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant to fund projects up to $50,000 to plan for activation of underutilized or unutilized public properties. Using up to $400,000 of Economic Recovery Fund resources, this grant will invest in communities and make government work better – two major economic development priorities adopted by the NJEDA Board and laid out in Governor Murphy’s Economic Plan. The NJEDA will begin accepting applications for the Asset Activation Grant in July 26, 2022.
Eligibility
Qualified applicants for the New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant include municipalities,
counties, redevelopment agencies, independent authorities, non-profit entities, and private for-profit entities that meet additional criteria and hold a valid New Jersey tax clearance certificate.
Applicants may add strategic partners whose experience, knowledge, skills, and ability may provide an advantage in the production of analyses and reports.
An applicant in a lead role for a proposal is the entity that is the sole recipient of grant funds and responsible for all terms of the grant agreement. The lead role applicant will serve as the primary point of contact with the Authority, submit any requests for fund disbursement, and provide reports to the Authority.
The strategic partnership must be recognized by a signed memorandum of understanding or a written agreement between the partner and the applicant. The MOU or written agreement must be included in the completed application.
An applicant may only submit one application in a lead role, but may be included as a partner in additional applications where they play a non-lead role. Any named strategic partner or partners included in the proposal cannot be changed without the prior written consent of the Authority.
Private and nonprofit entities proposing projects in relation to public properties must provide a letter of approval from the chief executive of the public entities that hold ownership of the subject property. Assets owned by The State of New Jersey are not eligible . Assets owned by independent authorities, commissions, boards, or other entities of the State of New Jersey are eligible when accompanied by a letter of approval from the body’s CEO.
A proposal on behalf of a county or independent authority does not preclude a municipality within that county; or municipality or county within the boundary of an independent authority; or independent authority whose boundaries overlap a municipality or county from submitting their own proposal.
An award of grant funding does not imply approval of planning, analysis, use, sale, or divestment of any assets or property.
Applicants who are successfully awarded a grant will follow a uniform disbursement schedule. The lead entity will receive 50 percent of the grant amount upon execution of grant agreement, 25 percent upon submission of a mid-way progress report, and 25 percent upon completion and submission of a final plan and final progress report. At a minimum, the progress reports must include a summary of funds expended to date as well as a narrative detailing milestone achieved and overall progress toward completion of final plan.
Eligible Uses
Planning projects may include, but are not limited to:
- Conceptual Design
- Feasibility Study
- Land-use Planning
- Economic Analysis
- Market Analysis
- Legal Analysis
Projects should target deficient, under-utilized, or vacant land, buildings, or infrastructure owned by a county, municipality, district, public authority, public commission, public agency, or other political subdivision or public body.
Grant Amounts
The maximum grant amount is $50,000.
Application Process
Online applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis based upon the date and time the NJEDA receives a completed application submission.
Applications for the New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant will be accepted on a rolling basis, reviewed, and scored on a first-in / first-out basis.
Applications will be accepted during a 90-day window or until grant funding is exhausted. To apply, an applicant must register, or log into the online application portal, complete all required application questions fully, and upload all required PDF document attachments. EDA staff will review applications in the order they are received for completeness and respond with any necessary rectifications to the application. The applicant will have 5 business days to cure any deficiencies, or the application will be withdrawn.
Each application must contain the following documents.
Required Application Information
- A fully completed online application
- New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate
- Religious Activities questionnaire (if applicable)
- Signed Letter of Approval from the chief executive of the entity holding ownership of the subject property or asset must be digitally attached with the application
- Completed Legal Questionnaire
- Application Fee or fee waiver request? (unless waived).
Required Proposal Components of Application
- Public Asset Description
- Planning Project Details, including:
- Planning Activities
- Project Milestones
- Roles
- Public Engagement
- Grant need and budget
- Asset Activation Merits, including:
- Asset challenges and considerations
- Regional market constrains and considerations
- Future uses, development, or activities at the site
- Connection to the State’s economic and development objectives
- Background & Experience
- Strategic Partners Memorandum of Understanding or written agreement (if applicable).
Applications deemed complete will be scored by a committee of EDA staff. Applications that meet a minimum score of 65 will be recommended to the EDA Board for grant funding.
Applications will be evaluated and scored based on:
- Their “Asset Impact,” which demonstrates the magnitude of improved utilization a project will have on a public asset, the local community, and regional economy. (40 points)
- The project’s purpose and merits, which address locality-specific needs and challenges that have precluded prior development of the asset, and a plan for long term viability of a project. (20 points)
- The demonstration of the applicant’s previous experience with similar planning projects. (20 points)
- Community Engagement aspects of the proposed planning work. (10 points)
- Municipal Revitalization Index Score, which ranks New Jersey’s municipalities according to eight separate indicators that measure diverse aspects of social, economic, physical, and fiscal conditions in each locality. (10 points)
Fees
A $1000 application fee is required prior to review of the application.
An application fee waiver may be requested at the time of application for proposals led by municipalities or municipal authorities, boards, commissions or other municipal entities ranked in the top 10 percent of the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI). Applicants will self-identify in the application as a municipality or municipal government entity requesting a waiver. Staff will determine if the entity meets the criteria for a waiver. Eligible entities will be granted a waiver for the program. Ineligible entities will be notified and a cure in the form of fees payment will be requested to complete the application.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Asset Activation Grant Program is available at https://www.njeda.gov/asset-activation-planning-grant
Main Street Lenders Grant
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications for the Main Street Lenders Grant at 10:00 a.m. on May 25,2022. The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/main-street-lenders-grant/ applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. A $1,000 application fee is required at time of application.
Please be advised that the Main Street Lenders Grant is a grant program for organizations that lend to micro businesses, and is NOT a direct grant to micro businesses.
Purpose
The Main Street Lenders Grant – a pilot product under the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, N.J.S.A. 34:1B-351 et seq- is offering lending grants of up to $1,000,000 to be used by eligible micro business lenders to create new or supplement existing micro business loan products. Lenders may also be eligible for an additional technical assistance grant equal to 50 percent of the lending grant request to better prepare micro businesses to qualify for these or other loan products. The Main Street Lenders Grant will be available to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs); Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs); and other eligible lenders, as defined in N.J.S.A. 34:1B-353.
Grants will be disbursed at time of closing. All lending and technical assistance funds must be disbursed within three years from the NJEDA grant closing date.
Overview
On August 11, 2021, NJEDA’s Board approved the creation of the Main Street Recovery Finance Program – one of over 15 programs under the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020, P.L. 2020, c. 156 as amended by P.L. 2021, c. 160. On November 13, 2021, NJEDA’s board approved the creation of the Main Street Lenders Grant under the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, N.J.S.A. 34:1B-351 et seq. Beyond meeting the statutory definition, the Authority will require that any entity applying for the lending grant have a demonstrated history of 10 years experience serving small and micro businesses. Furthermore, any entity applying for the technical assistance grant must demonstrate two years experience providing technical assistance to micro businesses either directly, or in collaboration with a technical assistance partner. The intent is for these grants to enable lending entities to provide micro businesses with technical assistance, and then to be able to offer a loan product to the micro business upon completion of the technical assistance.
Program Details
The Main Street Lenders Grant will offer two types of grants to eligible entities. The first type of grant is a lending grant used as funding for new micro business lending products or as supplemental funding for existing micro business lending products. The maximum lending grant that can be awarded to each entity is $1 million. The second type of grant, available as a complement to the lending grant, is a technical assistance grant. The technical assistance grant will support eligible entities with the costs associated with providing technical assistance to micro businesses to best prepare and position these micro businesses to qualify for micro business loans. The maximum technical assistance grant an eligible lending entity may receive is 50 percent of the lending grant request amount (not to exceed $500,000). Only lenders that receive a lending grant are eligible for the technical assistance grant.
Currently, the program has $15 million in funding; it may be expanded as additional funds become available. Forty percent of all funding is set-aside for businesses located in eligible New Jersey Opportunity Zone census tracts.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the grant, applicants must have at least 10 years of small and micro business lending experience. These lending entities may be based outside of New Jersey but must use funds to service eligible New Jersey-based businesses only. If applying for the technical assistance grant, the lending entity must also demonstrate two years of experience providing technical assistance to micro businesses.
Applicants must be one of the following:
- Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) as defined NJAC 19:315.2; a community development financial institution certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
- Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) as recognized by the FDIC;
- Entities defined as “other eligible lenders” under NJSA 34:1B-353(b), which includes: “a zone development corporation as defined in section 3 of P.L. 1983, c. 303 (C.52:27H-62) that is located in a municipality with a population greater than 100,000 or a nonprofit lender with at least 10 years’ experience lending to micro and small businesses.
As part of the evaluation of each organization’s grant application, the applicant must:
- Demonstrate the applicant has 10 years of lending experience to micro and small businesses.
- Provide a recap of portfolio activity in the last 10 years from the date of application demonstrating growth in capacity and lending efforts in the last year. For the previous year the applicant must provide a breakout of percentage of micro businesses served (using NJEDA’s definition of a micro business defined as a business in New Jersey with ten or fewer full-time employees and no greater than $1.5 million in annual revenues). This percentage of micro businesses served in the last year must be at least 20% to be eligible.
- Provide detailed information related to the new product that will be created with these funds, or existing loan programs that will be leveraged with these funds, and that these products will meet Main Street Lender Grant product specifications for flexible loan products. A product term sheet must be provided as part of application and highlight eligibility criteria, loan terms, fees, and any other necessary criteria.
- Explain the applicant’s policy or plan for serving communities and business segments underserved by the banking sector and other financial institutions and show significant experience complying with such policy or plan.
- Provide a detailed marketing plan on how this product will be marketed to attract new micro businesses owners. The plan should highlight what steps will be taken to ensure the product will serve all micro business owners. Demonstrate how the target of closing 40 percent of loans in eligible Opportunity Zone Census Tracts will be achieved. Applicants must offer their product information in other languages, identifying the specific languages.
- Demonstrate at least two years experience providing technical assistance to small and micro business owners. Applicant-lender must be able to document direct technical assistance experience or document an association with a for-profit or non-profit entity that will be providing such eligible technical assistance activities to micro businesses looking to pursue the lending product. The applicant must provide the number of businesses served within the two years experience and the direct services provided, and indicate how the businesses served leveraged this support.
- Complete an online grant application to include a 1-3 page narrative proposal detailing how grant funding will be used and disclose financial metrics, such as the availability of capital, to demonstrate the applicant lender’s ability to offer loan products.
- Be in substantial good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Department of Treasury at the time of application. A current tax clearance certification must be provided prior to approval, unless the applicant is not required to register with the Division of Taxation.
After execution of the grant agreement, the receiving entity must:
- Adhere to quarterly reporting requirements specified and provided by NJEDA.
- Fully disburse all NJEDA grant funds within three years from NJEDA grant agreement closing date to eligible micro businesses.
- Close 40 percent of loans funded by the grant to businesses that are in Opportunity Zone Census Tracts by the end of the three years grant period.
Failure to abide by the terms of the grant agreement may result in recapture of the grant funds. If grant funds are not used for eligible reasons as identified, then the lending entity is responsible for repayment to NJEDA. Any portion of the grant funds that remain unused three years from the NJEDA grant closing date must be returned to NJEDA.
Eligible Uses
Main Street Lenders Grant funding can only by used to create or supplement an existing lending product. The product must provide term working capital loans to qualified micro businesses offering the following features:
- The micro businesses must have less than 10 full time employees at the time of application and have less than $1.5 million in annual revenue (based on their last federal tax return required to be filed).
- The micro businesses must have a commercial location in New Jersey, which can be a home-based business.
- The loans may be used by the micro businesses for any purpose except restructuring existing debts or financing, any construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, repair work, maintenance work, or construction related to installation of equipment where such activity exceeds $1,999.99. Additionally, home-based businesses are not permitted to use the working capital loans for rent, mortgage, property tax payments, utilities, or for the purchase of equipment that attaches to the property. Examples of permitted uses are equipment purchases, rolling stock, and operating expenses such as payroll, marketing, inventory, rent, mortgage/property tax payments, utilities, or any other expenses that are applicable to the daily operation of the business.
- Home-based businesses, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, sole proprietors, and/or startups may be eligible to participate.
- Lending entities are required to collect a current New Jersey Business Tax Clearance Certificate from micro business applicants, if applicable.
- The minimum credit score required of the micro business to qualify for the loan must be under 650.
- Terms of the loan to applicants can go up to a 10-year term.
- Upon loan closing, a payment moratorium period of at least 12 months must be provided to the micro businesses.
- The loan product offered must be fully amortizing to avoid balloon payments.
- Interest rates cannot exceed five percent on each loan.
- Loan amounts must be no greater than $100,000 and no lower than $10,000.
- The product must allow for a minimum Debt Service Coverage Ratio on this program of 1.0, but the personal cash flow of the micro business owners who are personal guarantors may be considered.
- Application fees may be charged, but shall not exceed one percent of the loan amount.
- No prepayment penalty may be charged to the micro businesses.
- Collateral and personal guarantees are optional, as determined by lending entity.
- The program can allow for loan modifications as determined by entity.
- The lending entity must lend and disburse 40 percent of the total lending grant to micro businesses located in Opportunity Zone Census Tracts.
- Lenders shall not provide any financial assistance to micro businesses that are engaged in any of the following: the conduct or purveyance of “adult” (i.e., pornographic, lewd, prurient, obscene or otherwise similarly disreputable) activities, services, products or materials (including nude or seminude performances or the sale of sexual aids or devices); any auction, bankruptcy, fire, “lost-our-lease,” “going-out of business,” or similar sale; sales by transient merchants, Christmas tree sales, or other outdoor storage; or any activity constituting a nuisance.
Applicants applying for the lending grant can also apply for a technical assistance grant. This grant is for micro businesses to be able to pursue or prepare to apply for a loan. The applicant must have the required two years of experience or use a partner to that has the required experienced and services micro businesses. The eligible uses for the technical assistance grant are:
Technical assistance services may only be offered to micro businesses that meet the definition of a micro business and are pursuing financing. The technical assistance services offered by the lender that this grant can support may include, but are not limited to:
- Loan packaging assistance to applicants (for example, hiring new staff to directly serve those NJ-based micro businesses applying for new or existing loan products funded by the lending grant).
- Credit repair services that may be offered to help loan applicants repair their credit score to be eligible for new or existing loan products funded by the lending grant.
- Business plan preparation services.
- Projection preparation assistance for entities that need such information for their loan application.
- QuickBooks and Excel training services to help micro business owners better track their business operations.
- Online and social media specific marketing to help a micro business grow their operations and customer base.
- E-commerce services to help micro business owners pivot into better servicing their customer through a website (either creating or updating a current website) or to set up an e- commerce platform and pay for subscription fees.
Grant Amounts
The Lending Grant can be up to a $1 million request and the technical assistance grant can be up to 50 percent of the lending grant request but cannot exceed $500,000. Total grant award cannot be more than $1.5 million per applicant.
Application Process
Online applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis based upon the date the NJEDA receives a completed application submission. The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/main-street-lenders-grant/
Fees
A $1,000 non-refundable application fee per application is required at time of application.
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Main Street Lenders Grant is available at https://www.njeda.gov/main-street-lenders-grant/
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) expects to launch an online application for the Clean Tech Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program – Round 2 at 9:00 am on May 2, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis as long as program funds are available. No fees will be charged for this program.
Purpose
This grant opportunity is issued by the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), seeking applications from qualified applicants for the Clean Tech Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program, Round 2 to support early-stage businesses in the State. The goal of the program is to support New Jersey based early-stage clean tech/clean energy company efforts to accelerate development and innovation of clean technologies to transform new discoveries from research stage into commercially viable technologies, leading to industry and investor interest in the following target areas:
- Chemicals/Advance Materials
- Energy Distribution/Storage
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy Generation
- Green Buildings
- Transportation
- Waste Processing
- Water and Agriculture.
Overview
The Clean Tech R&D Voucher Pilot Program, Round 2 has a total budget of $375,000 for voucher awards. Funding for the program is provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU). The program will be implemented by CSIT and NJEDA, and technical support will be provided at participating university/college facilities, federal lab facilities and makerspaces.
The objectives of the program are to:
- improve awareness, access to and utilization of New Jersey’s world-leading equipment, facilities and makerspaces; and
- subsidize access to research and development equipment, facilities and makerspaces for small New Jersey-based companies that are developing innovative technologies in the clean energy/clean tech space.
Program Details
The program will subsidize the cost of access to participating New Jersey facilities and makerspaces for businesses to access equipment, labs, and facilities for clean energy/clean technological research and development. An asset map listing New Jersey university/college and federal laboratory facilities will be available on the CSIT webpage (www.njeda.gov/csit).
Each approved voucher will be valid for a period of six months, starting from date of the execution of the Voucher Agreement. Any unused approved voucher amounts will be cancelled after the six month period and returned to the program budget for future use. At CSIT’s sole discretion, a one-time voucher extension of up to three months may be approved if requested in writing.
Provided that funding is available, all complete applications that meet the eligibility criteria and are in compliance with the required documentation are eligible for funding.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Clean Tech R&D Voucher Pilot Program, Round 2, applicant companies must:
- Be registered to conduct business in New Jersey at the time of application.
- Have no more than 25 full-time employees (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week) at time of application.
- One hundred percent of project work for which the voucher is being sought must be conducted in New Jersey.
- A minimum of one full-time employee must be working in New Jersey at time of application, during the review process and throughout the voucher duration (FTE calculated on a 35-hour work week).
- Fifty percent or more of the total work of the applicant company’s employees, including founders, and contractors must be conducted in New Jersey (FTE calculated on a 35-hour work week).
- The applicant company must obtain a signed approval letter from a participating facility confirming that they are capable and willing to provide the services that will be supported by the voucher.
- The applicant company must be developing or testing clean technologies intended to avoid emissions of, or recapture of, greenhouse gases and/or criteria pollutants, or to enable such avoidance or recapture in the following target areas:
- Chemicals/Advance Materials
- Energy Distribution/Storage
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy Generation
- Green Buildings
- Transportation
- Waste Processing
- Water and Agriculture.
Applicant companies must have 25 or fewer full-time employees (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week) to receive a voucher to cover the cost of the service or access to a participating facility.
To participate a facility must:
All applicant projects must be for a minimum technology development level of TRL 1 (Basic research) through a maximum developmental level of TRL 7 (Full- scale, similar (prototypical) system demonstrated in relevant environment). Please consult Attachment A for an explanation of these US Department of Energy definitions.
Eligible Uses
Eligible applicants can receive vouchers of $1,000 up to $25,000 to defray one hundred percent the costs associated with any of the following services or activities in a participating New Jersey university or federal laboratory facility:
- Use of facility equipment and technicians for testing and development.
- Training in preparation for independent use of the facility equipment.
The vouchers are intended for specific, early-stage clean tech/clean energy-related development projects. All requests should be specifically related to the particular project for which the voucher is sought. The following uses are ineligible under this program:
- Manufacturing of products for sale or commercial use.
- Real estate rental expenses.
Grant Amounts
Eligible applicants can receive vouchers of $1,00 up to $25,000. Each eligible applicant can apply for multiple vouchers up to a cap of $25,000 in the aggregate over any 12-month period.
Voucher award funds will be disbursed by CSIT to the eligible applicant after the completion of the scope of work at the corresponding facility, submission of an approved project completion report, and an expense invoice detailing the costs expended and services provided.
Application Process
The application will open at 9:00 am on May 2, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as long as program funds are available. All applications to the Clean Tech R&D Voucher Pilot Program must include the following documentation:
- Completed online application via CSIT Portal including a
- Signed Application Certification and
- Completed CSIT Legal Debarment Questionnaire.
- Summary of the most recent internal applicant company payroll (detailing information on each employee of the company, number of hours worked per week and primary work location).
- Current employee information as appropriate for the applicant company’s structure and staffing (i.e., most recent Federal 941, NJ WR-30 (W2 employees) or 1099 (contractors), Shareholder Agreement or K-1).
- Current New Jersey tax clearance certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. (See https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp.) All certificates that do not specifically list CSIT will be rejected.
- Approval letter from a participating New Jersey university or federal laboratory facility.
- Copy of a signed agreement between the applicant and facility.
The following steps detail the application submission process:
- All companies wishing to apply must begin their application by completing the intake portion of the application. This includes questions concerning the applicant; the proposed scope of work; the type of facilities for which access is being requested; and if known, the New Jersey university or federal laboratory at which such facilities are located; and program eligibility information. CSIT will review the intake information and forward the project technical requirements to the Clean Tech Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program university/college and federal laboratory review committee
- The university/college and federal laboratory review committee (consisting of representatives from each participating university/college and federal laboratory facility) will review the intake forms of each applicant on a rolling basis and direct the application to the relevant facility where the applicant intends to work or the most suitable facility to conduct work
- Facility staff will contact each applicant to submit a detailed project proposal describing the intended scope of work. The applicant and the participating facility will review the scope of work and, if the participating facility agrees to the work, the applicant will complete the facility’s application process and sign any relevant forms with the university/college or federal laboratory. The facility will then issue an approval letter to the applicant for the CSIT program detailing the services to be provided and the full cost before application of a voucher.
- CSIT will provide the applicant a submission code to finalize their application with all required documentation, including the approval letter and a copy of any facility agreements from the participating facility. The application must be completed within six weeks of the receipt of the submission code from CSIT. If the application is not completed, the approval will be cancelled, and the reserved funds returned to the program budget.
- All submitted applications will be reviewed by CSIT for document completeness and compliance on a rolling basis. Following the completeness review, applicants with missing documentation will receive an email notification from CSIT to re-submit any missing or incomplete required documentation.
- Once an application has been reviewed and approved, the voucher funds will be reserved for six months from the date of the voucher reservation approval letter. During this period, the applicant and CSIT must execute a Voucher Agreement detailing the terms and conditions of the voucher and complete the voucher use at the respective facility. At CSIT’s sole discretion, a voucher reservation may be extended for one three-month period if requested in writing prior to expiration.
- At the end of the voucher period, the applicant will submit to CSIT a completion report detailing the scope of work achieved during the voucher and an expense invoice detailing the costs expended and services provided.
PLEASE NOTE: The online application will enable applicants to provide an electronic Application Certification by uploading a signed PDF. However, if an applicant prefers not to provide an electronic Application Certification, the applicant may:
i. Mail a hard copy of the signed Application Certification postmarked to CSIT at:
Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology Attn: Judith Sheft (Executive Director)
36 W State Street PO Box 990
Trenton, NJ 08625
AND
ii. Email CSIT (csitcleantech@njeda.com) with the subject line: “MAILED Application Certification Clean Tech R&D Voucher Pilot Program – Round 2” indicating that the certification document has been mailed. Only the signed CSIT Application Certification maybe mailed. The rest of the application must be submitted through the online system.
If an applicant chooses to mail a hard copy of the application certification, the application will only be considered complete once the original signed CSIT application certification is received by CSIT.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19, it may take longer than usual for applicants to obtain certain State documentation, such as the New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate. If an applicant has attempted to obtain but has not received documentation, the applicant must provide CSIT with correspondence or receipts that demonstrate the attempt to obtain the documentation.
Fees
No fees will be collected by CSIT for this program.
Additional Information
Other Terms and Conditions
For two years from the date of the Voucher Agreement, employees and consultants who continue working on the project must conduct all of their work in a New Jersey location. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the applicant make full re-payment of the grant award.
All Voucher awardees must annually report economic impact data to CSIT upon the completion of the project for a period of two years, as will be outlined in the Voucher Agreement and by submitting an Economic Impact Questionnaire provided by CSIT.
All voucher awardees are asked to commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA/BPU alumni activities, such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews.
Confidentiality
Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of CSIT, NJEDA and participating university facilities. All applications submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to, requests pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”)
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted to the Authority must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant as such.
Attachment A: Technology Readiness Level[1] (TRL)
TRL 1
Basic Research: Initial scientific research has been conducted. Principles are qualitatively postulated and observed. Focus is on new discovery rather than applications
TRL 2
Applied Research: Initial practical applications are identified. Potential of material or process to solve a problem, satisfy a need, or find application is confirmed
TRL 3
Critical Function or Proof of Concept Established: Applied research advances and early-stage development begins. Studies and laboratory measurements validate analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology
TRL 4
Lab Testing/Validation of Alpha Prototype Component/Process: Design, development and lab testing of components/processes. Results provide evidence that performance targets may be attainable based on projected or modeled systems
TRL 5
Laboratory Testing of Integrated/Semi-Integrated System: System Component and/or process validation is achieved in a relevant environment
TRL 6
Prototype System Verified: System/process prototype demonstration in an operational environment (beta prototype system level)
TRL 7
Integrated Pilot System Demonstrated: System/process prototype demonstration in an operational environment (integrated pilot system level)
TRL 8
System Incorporated in Commercial Design: Actual system/process completed and qualified through test and demonstration (pre-commercial demonstration)
TRL 9
System Proven and Ready for Full Commercial Deployment: Actual system proven through successful operations in operating environment, and ready for full commercial deployment
[1] TRL levels summarized from Department of Energy (DOE) Report
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) expects to launch an online application for the Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program at 9:00 am on May 2, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis as long as program funds are available. No fees will be charged for this program.
Purpose
This grant opportunity is issued by the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), seeking applications from qualified applicants for Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program to support early-stage companies in the State. The goal of the program is to support New Jersey based early-stage company efforts to accelerate development and innovation of technologies to transform new discoveries from research stage into commercially viable technologies, leading to industry and investor interest in the following target areas:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Advanced Transportation and Logistics
- Film and Digital Media
- Life Sciences – Therapeutic Drug Development
- Life Sciences – Other
- Non-Retail Food and Beverage
- Professional and Financial Services
- Technology.
Overview
Catalyst R&D Voucher Pilot Program has a total budget of $275,000 for voucher awards. Funding for the program is provided by funds from CSIT’s FY2023 budget appropriation. The program will be implemented by CSIT and technical support will be provided at participating universities/colleges, federal labs and non-profit organizations.
The objectives of the program are to:
- improve awareness, access to and utilization of New Jersey’s world-leading equipment, facilities, and makerspaces; and
- subsidize access to research and development equipment, facilities and makerspaces for small New Jersey based companies that are developing innovative technologies.
Program Details
The program will subsidize the cost of access to any New Jersey participating university/college, non-profit organization and federal lab for early-stage companies to access equipment and facilities for technological research and development. An asset map listing participating facilities will be available on the CSIT webpage (www.njeda.gov/csit).
Each approved voucher will be valid for a period of 12 months (starting from date of the execution of the voucher agreement). Any unused approved voucher amounts will be cancelled after the twelve (12) month period and returned to the program budget for future use. At CSIT’s sole discretion, a voucher reservation may be extended for one three-month period if requested in writing prior to expiration.
Provided that funding is available, all complete applications that meet the eligibility criteria and are in compliance with the required documentation are eligible for funding.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Catalyst R&D Voucher Pilot Program, the applicant company must:
- Be registered to conduct business in New Jersey at the time of application.
- Have no more than 25 full-time employees (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week) at time of application, until the voucher is awarded and throughout the voucher duration.
- One hundred percent of project work for which the voucher is being sought must be conducted in New Jersey.
- A minimum of one full-time employee must be working in New Jersey at the time of application, until the voucher is awarded and throughout the voucher duration (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week).
- Fifty percent or more of the total work of the applicant company’s employees and contractors must be conducted in New Jersey (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week).
- The applicant company must obtain a signed approval letter from a participating university/college, federal lab or non-profit organization confirming that the facility is capable of and willing to provide the services that will be supported by the voucher.
- The applicant company must be developing or testing technologies in the following target areas:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Advanced Transportation and Logistics
- Film and Digital Media
- Life Sciences – Therapeutic Drug Development
- Life Sciences – Other
- Non-Retail Food and Beverage
- Professional and Financial Services
- Technology.
Applicant companies must have 25 full-time employees (FTE calculated on a 35 hour work week) or less to receive a voucher to cover the cost of the service and facility access.
To participate a facility must:
- be in a two or four-year college or university (public, state, or non-profit) located in New Jersey, or a federal or non-profit organization located in New Jersey,
- allow outside businesses to utilize research and development facilities on a fee-for-service basis, and
- provide a contact person to facilitate requests and participate in Catalyst Voucher Committee meetings.
Eligible Uses
Eligible applicants can receive vouchers to defray the costs associated with any of the following services or activities in participating facilities:
- Access to core lab facilities, equipment, makerspaces and technology centers.
- Use of facility equipment and technicians for testing and development.
- Training in preparation for independent use of the facility equipment or makerspaces.
The vouchers are intended for specific, early-stage development projects (Projects). All requests should be specifically related to the particular Project for which the voucher is sought. The following uses are ineligible under the Program:
- manufacturing of products for sale or commercial use,
- real estate rental expenses, and
- patient clinical trial expense.
Grant Amounts
Eligible applicants can receive vouchers of $1,000 up to $25,000 . Each eligible applicant can apply for multiple vouchers up to a cap of $25,000 in the aggregate over any 12-month period.
Application Process
The application will open at 9:00 am on May 2, 2022 at www.njeda.gov/csit. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis as long as program funds are available. All applications to the Catalyst R&D Voucher Pilot Program must include the following documentation:
- Completed online application via CSIT Portal including a
- Signed Application Certification and
- Completed CSIT Legal Debarment Questionnaire.
- Summary of the most recent internal applicant company payroll (detailing information on each employee of the company, number of hours worked per week and primary work location).
- Current employee information as appropriate for the applicant company’s structure and staffing (i.e., most recent Federal 941, NJ WR-30 (W2 employees) or 1099 (contractors), Shareholder Agreement or K-1).
- Current New Jersey tax clearance certificate listing New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology. (See https://www16.state.nj.us/NJ_PREMIER_EBIZ/jsp/home.jsp.) All certificates that do not specifically list CSIT will be rejected.
- Approval letter from a participating facility.
- Copy of a signed facility agreement between the applicant and facility.
The following steps detail the application submission process:
- All companies must begin their application by completing the intake portion of the application. This includes questions concerning the applicant; the proposed scope of work; the type of facilities for which access is being requested; and if known, the university/college, federal lab or non-profit organization at which such facilities are located; and program eligibility information. CSIT will review the intake information and forward the project technical requirements to the Catalyst R&D Voucher Pilot Program facility review committee.
- The facility review committee (consisting of representatives from each participating university/college, federal lab or non-profit organization) will review the intake forms of each applicant on a rolling basis and direct the application to the facility the applicant intends to work with or the most suitable facility to conduct the work.
- Facility staff will contact each applicant to submit a detailed Project proposal describing the intended scope of work. The applicant and the participating facility will review the scope of work and, if the participating facility agrees to the work, the applicant will complete the facility’s application process and sign any relevant forms. The facility will then issue an approval letter to the applicant for the program detailing the services to be provided and the full cost before application of a voucher.
- CSIT will provide the applicant a submission code to finalize their application with all required documentation including the approval letter and a copy of any facility agreements from the participating facility. The application must be completed within six weeks of the receipt of the submission code from CSIT. If the application is not completed, the approval will be cancelled, and the reserved funds returned to the program budget.
- All submitted applications will be reviewed by CSIT for document completeness and compliance on a rolling basis. Following the completeness review, applicants with missing documentation will receive an email notification from CSIT to re-submit any missing or incomplete required documentation.
- Once an application has been reviewed and approved, the voucher funds will be reserved for 12 months from the date of the voucher reservation approval letter. During this period, the applicant and CSIT must execute a voucher agreement detailing the terms and conditions of the voucher and complete the voucher use at the respective facility. At CSIT’s sole discretion, a voucher reservation may be extended for one three-month period if requested in writing prior to expiration.
- At the end of the voucher period, the applicant will submit to CSIT a completion report detailing the scope of work achieved with the voucher and an expense invoice detailing the costs expended and services provided.
PLEASE NOTE: The online application will enable applicants to provide an electronic Application Certification by uploading a signed PDF. However, if an applicant prefers not to provide an electronic Application Certification, the applicant may:
i. Mail a hard copy of the signed Application Certification to CSIT at:
Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology
Attn: Judith Sheft (Executive Director)
36 W State Street PO Box 990
Trenton, NJ 08625
AND
ii. Email CSIT (csitcatalyst@njeda.com) with the subject line: “MAILED Application Certification Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program” indicating that the certification document has been mailed. Only the signed CSIT Application Certification may be mailed. The rest of the application must be submitted through the online system.
If an applicant chooses to mail a hard copy of the Application Certification, the application will only be considered complete once the original signed CSIT Application Certification is received by CSIT.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19, it may take longer than usual for applicants to obtain certain documentation, such as the New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate. If an applicant has attempted to obtain but has not received documentation, the applicant must provide CSIT with correspondence or receipts that demonstrate the attempt to obtain the documentation.
All New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificates MUST be submitted before any recommendation of an award will be made with respect to that applicant
Fees
No fees will be collected by CSIT for this program.
Additional Information
Other Terms & Conditions
For two years from the date of the Voucher Agreement, employees and consultants who continue working on the project must conduct all of their work in a New Jersey location. Failure to comply will trigger a requirement that the applicant make full re-payment of the grant award.
All voucher awardees must report economic impact data to CSIT upon the completion of the project for a period of two years, as will be outlined in the Voucher Agreement, and by submitting an Economic Impact Questionnaire provided by CSIT.
All voucher awardees must commit to participate in future CSIT/NJEDA alumni activities, such as serving as a panel member or participating in interviews about Program experience.
Confidentiality
Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of CSIT, NJEDA and participating universities/colleges, federal labs and non-profit organizations. All applications submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including but not limited to, requests pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted to the Authority must be specifically identified and marked by the applicant as such.
Small Business Improvement Grant Program
Notice of Funding Availability
Español (Spanish)
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications for the Small Business Improvement Grant Program at 10:00 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 10, 2022. The application can be accessed at https://www.njeda.gov/small-business-improvement-grant/. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. A $100 approval fee is required after the application has been reviewed and prior to execution of a grant agreement.
Purpose
The Small Business Improvement Grant Program offers reimbursement to small businesses for costs associated with making building improvements or purchasing new furniture, fixtures and equipment. This grant will reimburse a small business for 50 percent of total eligible project costs incurred after March 9, 2020, but no more than 2 years prior to the application date.
Overview
On August 11, 2021, NJEDA’s Board approved the creation of the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, which established the Small Business Lease Grant and the Small Business Improvement Grant to support eligible small business with facility improvements. The NJEDA began accepting applications for the Small Business Lease Grant in October 2021.
Program Details
The Small Business Improvement Grant Program will provide grants of up to $50,000 to New Jersey-based small businesses and nonprofits to reimburse business owners for costs associated with making interior or exterior building improvements or purchasing and installing new furniture, fixtures and equipment. The grant will reimburse a small business eligible for assistance from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) for 50 percent of eligible total project costs incurred after March 9, 2020, but no more than 2 years prior to the application date. Additional eligibility criteria apply. Currently, the program has $15 million in funding; it may be expanded as additional funds become available. Forty percent of all funding is set-aside for businesses located in eligible NJ Opportunity Zone census tracts.
Eligibility
The Small Business Improvement Grant is reimbursement based. A business must have completed the capital improvements or purchased and/or installed the new furniture, fixtures and equipment.
To be eligible under the program, applicants must:
- Rent or own and operate from the facility. Landlords are not eligible under this program.
- Meet SBAs definition of Small Business based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
- Have a total project cost of at least $5,000, and have incurred that cost on or after March 9, 2020, with the capital improvement work having commenced no more 2 years prior to date of application.
- Provide a WR-30 or equivalent payroll documentation.
- Provide a current tax clearance certificate prior to approval.
- Be in good standing with the Department of Labor.
- Be in good standing with the Department of Environmental Protection.
- Certify at application that they are not in default with any other EDA or State assistance.
- Certify that all the information and documentation provided to the NJEDA is true and accurate.
Businesses defined as “home-based businesses” may only receive reimbursement for new equipment purchased and/or installed. Home-based businesses are not eligible for reimbursement for renovation or improvement projects. Non-profits and for-profit businesses are eligible to apply. Applicants are eligible to receive a Small Business Lease Grant and Small Business Improvement Grant for the same location. Applicants are limited to one application per Employer Identification Number (EIN). Applicants operating from multiple locations under a single EIN are limited to one application under the sole EIN, but may pool project costs from multiple locations into a single application.
After execution of the grant agreement, the receiving entity must:
- Commit to paying each full-time and part-time employee not less than $15 per hour or 120 percent of the minimum wage, whichever is higher. For tipped employees, the small business shall not pay less than 120 percent of the minimum wage. Businesses that receive grant funding of up to $25,000 must comply with these wage requirements for two years. Businesses that receive grant funding of greater than $25,000 must comply with these wage requirements for four years. Non-compliance with these wage requirements will result in repayment of the grant to the NJEDA.
- Remain in the location for a period of time based on the amount of the grant. For grants of up to $25,000, the entity must remain in the location for at least two years. For grants of greater than $25,000, the entity must remain in the location for at least four years. Non-compliance with this requirement will result in repayment of the grant to the NJEDA.
Additional eligibility requirements may apply to ensure that the applicant is eligible. This may include, but is not limited to:
- An acknowledgement and agreement that grant proceeds be applied to eligible uses only.
- Projects with costs over $50,000 must comply with Green Building Standards for lighting and mechanical work.
- Affirmative action standards apply to contractors with four or more employees.
Finally, prohibited businesses include, but are not limited to: gambling or gaming activities; the conduct or purveyance of “adult” (i.e., pornographic, lewd, prurient, obscene or otherwise similarly disreputable) activities, services, products or materials (including nude or semi-nude performances or the sale of sexual aids or devices); any auction or bankruptcy or fire or “lost-our-lease” or “going-out-of-business” or similar sales; sales by transient merchants, Christmas tree sales or other outdoor storage; any activity constituting a nuisance; or any illegal purposes.
Eligible Uses
Under the Small Business Improvement Grant, funding can only be used to reimburse business owners forcosts associated with making interior or exterior building improvements or purchasing and installing new furniture, fixtures and equipment. Home-based businesses may only receive reimbursement for new equipment purchases and/or installation. Home-based businesses are not eligible for reimbursement for renovation or improvement projects.
Grant Amounts
The minimum project cost is $5,000 and the maximum grant amount is $50,000.
Application Process
Online applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis based upon the date the NJEDA receives a completed application submission.
Fees
Additional Information
Comprehensive information about the Small Business Improvement Grant Program is available at https://www.njeda.gov/small-business-improvement-grant/.
The Brownfield Impact Fund
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) hereby announces the availability of grant and loan funding under The Brownfield Impact Fund. This program is supported by funding received from a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant. The Brownfield Impact Fund is designed to provide grants to units of local government and non-profit entities and loans to units of local government, non-profit entities, and for-profit organizations. Funding received under this program is to be used for carrying out cleanup activities at brownfield sites, assisting with the return of these vacant and underutilized properties to public benefit.
This application will open on the NJEDA website on January 20, 2022, and remain open for as long as sufficient program funds are available. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis upon receipt of the nonrefundable application fee, unless waived, and completed application with supporting documentation. The link to the online application for the Brownfields Impact Fund will be available on the NJEDA webpage: https://www.njeda.gov/brownfieldsimpactfund/
Overview
Brownfields are former commercial or industrial sites that are vacant or underutilized and are suspected or known to be contaminated. The remediation of brownfield properties can transform communities, providing benefits to the local and regional economies including fostering the development of medium, small, and microbusinesses, increasing employment opportunities, and increasing tax revenue. Brownfield remediation projects can also have an overall positive effect on the community such as increased safety, community pride, and health and wellness.
The Brownfields Impact Fund is an important program that will facilitate the redevelopment of brownfields by addressing funding gaps to make the remediation phase of the project financially viable, after which construction financing can be more readily obtained by the developer. This program can increase the economic impact of the State’s investment, reactivating long-stalled sites and encouraging job creation through remediation, redevelopment, and productive reuse of the property. An additional outcome of the program is to minimize the negative environmental impacts of developing current green spaces for commercial and industrial use. The Brownfields Impact Fund will accomplish this by focusing on the reuse of distressed, abandoned brownfields properties, which are often located in sought after areas within the community. Revitalization of brownfield properties allows for economic development in key locations which often have existing access to a potential workforce, infrastructure, and redevelopment opportunities in our communities.
Purpose
Under the Brownfields Impact Fund, the NJEDA will make grant funding available to non-profit organizations and units of local governments and will make low-interest loans available to for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, and units of local government. For-profit organizations will not be eligible to apply for grant funding. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis upon receipt of a completed application.
These loans and grants will assist with cleanup and other pre-construction activities at brownfield sites throughout the state, particularly those within the States’ Community Collaborative Initiative (CCI) cities. Eligible uses of the loan and/or grant funding include remediation activities necessary to clean up the release or mitigate the threatened release of hazardous materials and other activities approved by the EPA and outlined in the program specifications.
Funding Amounts
The minimum loan amount will be $50,000, with a maximum loan amount of up to $350,000.
The minimum grant amount will be $25,000, with a maximum grant amount of up to $350,000.
Eligible entities may apply for both a loan and a grant under this program.
Funding Disbursement
Disbursements will be based on a reimbursement structure for actual eligible costs incurred. Funds are to be disbursed upon receipt and review of approved invoices.
Eligible Applicants
For the first three months (90 calendar days) of the program from the date the NJEDA begins accepting applications, eligibility will be limited to designated CCI communities.[1] After the 90-day period, the NJEDA will begin accepting applications from projects located in areas outside of the twelve defined CCI communities, subject to the availability of funding.
As part of eligibility for the Brownfields Impact Fund, entities applying for a loan must be able to demonstrate site control or a path to site control of a brownfield property at time of application. For non-profit organizations and units of local government applying for grant funding, the entity must own the brownfield property at the time of the application and retain ownership of the term of the grant.
Furthermore, all applicants for either the loan or grant must be accompanied by a letter of support from the mayor or, if the position of mayor does not exist, from the governing body of the municipality in which the brownfield site is located. The letter of support must indicate that the project aligns with the master land use plan or the local redevelopment plan. If there is no master plan or local redevelopment plan that includes the project site, the support letter must indicate that neither of these documents exist.
All applicants must have a redevelopment plan for the contaminated property.
Applicants must be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (as determined by each Department). If a compliance issue exists, the eligible entity may have an agreement with the respective department that includes a practical corrective action plan, as applicable. Applicants will also be required to provide a valid tax clearance certificate from the New Jersey Division of Taxation within the New Jersey Department of Treasury.
Entities applying to the Brownfield Impact Fund will be required to complete a legal questionnaire.
Exclusionary Criteria
Loans or grants cannot be provided to entities who are considered liable or potentially liable for the environmental contamination under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) § 107. Specifically, this program excludes:
individuals or entities responsible for, or individuals or entities who have common ownership or control with entities responsible for, any existing environmental contamination at the site, pursuant to CERCLA.
Eligible Uses
The Brownfield Impact Fund provides low-interest loans and/or grants for eligible brownfield cleanups.
Eligible Activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Preparation of Remedial Action Workplans;
- Remediation of hazardous substances that are part of a structure (to include lead-based paint and asbestos);
- Construction of a site’s engineered remediation cap which could include foundations/roadways;
- Demolition of structures to the extent that the demolition is integral to enabling access to contamination needing remediation (must be pre-approved by U. S. EPA);
- Actions necessary to clean up the release or mitigate the threatened release of hazardous materials such as:
- provide fences, warning signs or other site control precautions;
- drainage controls;
- capping of contaminated soils;
- excavation, consolidation, or removal of highly contaminated soils;
- removal of containers that may contain hazardous substances;
- use of chemicals to retard the spread of hazardous substances;
- containment, treatment, disposal, or incineration of hazardous materials.
- Purchase of environmental insurance;
- Site monitoring, including sampling and analysis, required during the cleanup process;
- Monitoring and data collection which are required as a component of the cleanup action (including payment of the annual NJDEP remediation permit fees, if approved by U. S. EPA);
- Installation of engineering and/or institutional controls to fulfill cleanup requirements.
- Others uses will be considered upon request from borrower / grantee, and approval by U. S. EPA.
Ineligible Activities include, but are not limited to:
- Pre-cleanup assessment, identification, and characterization;
- Cleanup of a naturally occurring substances;
- Payment of a penalty or fine;
- Construction, demolition, and development activities that are not integral to cleanup actions;
- Public or private drinking water supplies that have deteriorated through ordinary use;
- Monitoring and data collection necessary to apply for, or comply with, environmental permits under other federal and state laws, unless such a permit is required as a component of the cleanup action;
- Other activities unrelated to the cleanup;
- Properties already listed as Superfund sites;
- Any cost incurred prior to loan or grant approval;
- Any use not approved by NJEDA or U.S. EPA.
Approval Process
Potential applicants will be asked to complete a pre-application screening form prior to applying. The Brownfields & Sustainable Systems team will review applications for eligibility and appropriateness based on the U.S. EPA guidelines. The approval process will also include a technical review which will vet projects for readiness. The factors for the technical review include, but are not limited to, completion of the environmental assessment, existence of a draft remedial action workplan, engineer’s cost estimate for remediation, and permits.
Interest Rate and Terms
The NJEDA has structured these loans with an up to 20-year term and 2% interest rate (with an option for interest rate reductions to a floor of 1 percent based on the achievement of NJEDA’s policy goals). Principal and interest will be deferred until the end of Year 4. During this period, interest will accrue and capitalize.
Labor Compliance
The Davis-Bacon Act and New Jersey Prevailing Wage requirements, and associated U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations, apply to all construction, alteration, and repair contracts and subcontracts awarded with funds provided under this program.
Fees
For the Brownfield Impact Fund, there will be a nonrefundable application fee for loans and grants of $1,000. For grant applications, the NJEDA will waive the application fee upon demonstration by the applicant that the imposition of the fee would impose an undue financial hardship. Undue financial hardship is determined based on NJEDA established objective criteria provided in the Program application and in accordance with program policies and procedures. The program policies and procedures include a provision that the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI), which demonstrates municipal distress, will be utilized to evaluate hardship for municipalities. The program policies and procedures also include a provision for non-profits that the hardship will be evaluated based on their annual operating budget.
For loans specifically, there will be a commitment fee of 0.875% of the loan amount, a closing fee of 0.875 percent of the loan amount. For any modifications needed on a loan, there will be a loan modification fee of $1,000.
Additional Information
Additional information on the Brownfields Impact Fund may be found on the NJEDA webpage: https://www.njeda.gov/brownfieldsimpactfund/
NJ ZIP Pilot Voucher Program for Medium Duty Zero Emission Vehicle
Notice of Funding Availability
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is seeking applications from qualified applicants and vendors for a pilot vehicle voucher program to support the purchase of zero emission medium duty vehicles that operate in overburdened communities.
Name of Program: NJ ZIP Pilot Voucher Program for Medium Duty Zero Emission Vehicles
Purpose: The NJ ZIP Pilot Voucher Program had an initial budget of $15,000,000 for voucher awards through funding allocated from New Jersey’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds, as outlined in the RGGI Strategic Funding Plan, to be implemented and administered by the NJEDA. This fund was expanded by $9,250,000 in September 2021. This Notice is intended to announce the addition of $20,000,000 to this voucher award budget as of December 1, 2021 at 9AM Eastern. Applications for this funding can be filed through NJEDA’s online portal at www.njeda.gov/njzip (click “Apply Here” button) and will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis until the funds are exhausted. In addition to this formal notice, announcement of this expansion was provided on November 10, 2021 as part of a press release issued by Governor Murphy’s Office and outlined on the NJ ZIP webpage as of November 18, 2021.
The goal of the program is to help New Jersey-based companies accelerate adoption of zero emission medium duty vehicles by reducing their upfront capital cost through the provision of vouchers. This adoption is anticipated to reduce emissions within the pilot communities, and to allow NJEDA to stimulate and assess market-readiness and determine and foster the economic impact of adoption moving forward. The pilot communities were previously defined as the greater Camden and greater Newark areas, with the addition of the greater New Brunswick area in September 2021; this Notice is also intended to announce the addition of the Greater Shore Area as an eligible community on December 1, 2021.
The pilot program is for commercial, industrial, or institutional organizations with vehicle operations in the greater Camden, greater Newark, greater New Brunswick, and/or greater Shore areas of New Jersey that are purchasing medium duty zero emission vehicles, and for the vendors of such products.
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, a business/institution purchasing a vehicle (applicant) must:
- Be a commercial, industrial, or institutional organization in New Jersey. As defined in the Global Warming Solutions Fund, N.J.A.C. 7:27D-1.2, “institutional” means serving a non-profit or public purpose, such as a library, hospital, public school, institution of higher education, municipal utility, public recreation or cultural facility, or government entity. The term “government entity” includes local and municipal government entities, but for the purposes of this pilot, State government entities are not eligible.
- If a for-profit business, be registered to conduct business in New Jersey (as demonstrated with a business registration certificate). Non-profit businesses or institutions may be required to provide a business registration certificate or other documentation, as applicable, to demonstrate their New Jersey operations and non-profit or institutional status.
- Provide a Tax Clearance Certificate (with the application or prior to closing).
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
To be eligible, applicant’s proposed vehicle(s) must be:
- A new zero emission vehicle Class 2b – Class 6 (GVWR 8,501 lbs. – 26,000 lbs.) (ZEV), used for commercial, industrial, or institutional purposes. Retrofits and repowers of pre-owned vehicles are not eligible.
- All zero emission vehicles, defined as “a vehicle that emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power, such as particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of nitrogen,” are eligible for vouchers. This includes, but is not limited to, battery-electric (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell-electric (FCEV) vehicles.
- Purchased and registered within six months of receipt of voucher approval letter, with proof of such intent to purchase required for eligibility. An extension for up to an additional six months may be permitted on a case-by-case basis.
- Not a subject of Volkswagen (VW) Settlement funding or any other State funding for the same vehicle(s).
- Procured from a Vendor that meets program eligibility requirements (detailed in the following section).
Note: Vehicle scrappage is not mandated by this program, except in the case that the new vehicle is replacing a vehicle model year 2009 or earlier. For consistency with prior State programs, scrappage is defined within the DEP’s VW Settlement funded grant program as “rendering the vehicle inoperable and available for recycle; at a minimum, to cut a 3-inch hole in the engine block and disable the chassis by cutting the vehicle’s frame rails complete in half.” Vehicles that are not replacements (that is, ZEV purchased are for new use cases or to expand a fleet) or are replacing a model year 2010 or later do not have to comply with scrappage requirements. If the applicant is defined as a small business, they can receive a bonus incentive on a per-vehicle basis for scrappage.
To be eligible, vehicle manufacturer or seller (vendor) must:
- Provide proof of a minimum of 12 months of experience selling or manufacturing eligible vehicles.
- Be registered, or register to conduct business in New Jersey prior to executing an agreement with the NJEDA.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
- Provide a Tax Clearance Certificate.
- On a per-applicant basis, provide additional documentation, including, but not limited to:
- A link to vendor website that indicates eligible vehicles available for sale, and their related specifications;
- A specification sheet or, if custom vehicle, specification sheets for all major components, corroborating vehicle capabilities, charging/fueling needs, design appropriate to applicant’s planned use, and eligibility; and
- Timeline and process/plans by which vendor intends to comply with the terms of the voucher (for example, delivery of vehicle, development of charging/fueling plans, implementation of maintenance plan, etc.) prior to expiration of voucher.
- Agree to accept the program’s voucher as a portion of the final vehicle payment, deducting the full voucher(s) amount from the upfront cost to the applicant.
Voucher amounts and expiration: To reserve voucher funding, eligible applicants can propose purchase of eligible zero emission vehicle(s) from an eligible vendor, indicating intent to purchase and register vehicle within six months, and to use vehicle as prescribed in program terms for the three-year compliance term. An extension for up to an additional six months to purchase and register the vehicle may be permitted and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Voucher funding amounts are based on GVWR laid out below:
Vehicle GVWR | Vehicle Class | Voucher Amount |
8,501 - 10,000 lbs. | Class 2b | $25,000 |
10,0001 - 14,000 lbs. | Class 3 | $55,000 |
14,001 - 16,000 lbs. | Class 4 | $75,000 |
16,001 - 19,500 lbs. | Class 5 | $85,000 |
19,501 - 26,000 lbs. | Class 6 | $100,000 |
Eligible applicants may receive increased per-vehicle voucher bonuses through documentation of any of the following:
- Small business vehicle scrappage bonus: $2,000 per vehicle scrapped and replaced with a NJ ZIP voucher-funded ZEV.
- Certified woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned business bonus: $4,000 per vehicle.
- Small business bonus: A 25 percent increase of the base voucher amount per vehicle.
- New Jersey manufacturing bonus: A 25 percent increase of base voucher amount per vehicle will be available if the vendor can formally document (for example, but not limited to, through price sheets and hourly rates) that 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle is spent in New Jersey on labor for vehicle design, assembly, and/or manufacturing or cost of components produced in New Jersey.
- Driver readiness and education bonus: $2,000 per vehicle; available if the vendor provides two public training sessions (in-person, but may be web-based contingent on COVID-19 safety recommendations) per quarter in the year following applicant voucher(s) approval, for a total of eight sessions, including at least an overview of the technology, operation, and safety (associated with, for example, operation, charging, and/or maintenance) on two separate days, given by subject matter experts. In addition, vendor must provide a once per quarterly opportunity in the year following applicant voucher(s) approval for publicly available vehicle test drive or in-person vehicle viewing and demonstration within one or more of the selected pilot communities. In the case that the voucher funds have been disbursed prior to completion of this commitment, NJEDA will verify satisfactory completion of commitment and, if vendor does not complete its obligation, vendor may be required to refund the bonus funds to the voucher pool.
These bonuses may be stacked, with applicant eligible for multiple bonus criteria. The total funding per vehicle may equal but may not exceed the cost of the vehicle.
Maximum funding reserved for a single applicant business (as determined by EIN) through vouchers inclusive of any qualifying bonuses may not exceed $1,500,000, to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
Required Documentation: All applications to the NJ ZIP pilot program must include the following documentation:
- Completed and signed online application (applicant and vendor);
- Completed Legal Debarment Questionnaire (applicant and vendor);
- Vehicle specification sheets (vendor);
- Timeline and process/plans by which vendor intends to comply with the terms of the voucher (for example, delivery of vehicle, development of charging/fueling plans, implementation of maintenance plan, etc.) prior to expiration of voucher (vendor);
- Details on the vehicle being replaced (applicant, if applicable);
- Current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate listing New Jersey Economic Development Authority. All certificates listing another State agency will be rejected (applicant and vendor); and
- If not demonstrated through New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate, a New Jersey Business Registration Certificate or, if non-profit or institution, other documentation, as applicable, to demonstrate New Jersey operations and status.
And, as applicable, if applying for additional bonuses:
- If applicant applying as a small business, employee information, as appropriate, for applicable company structure and staffing, for example, most recent New Jersey WR-30 (W-2 employees)
- If applicant applying as a small business, most recent company tax filing; Federal 941 and either an NJ-CBT-100 (Schedule A), Form-1065, or Form-1040 (Schedule C), or whichever is applicable to the organizational form of business, showing the total gross receipts or sales for the year;
- If applicant applying as a women-, minority-, or veteran-owned business, a copy of women-, minority-, and/or veteran-owned business New Jersey Certification;
- If vehicle is manufactured in the State of New Jersey, price sheets for materials, hourly labor rates and payroll, Federal 941, formally documenting that 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle is spent in New Jersey on labor for vehicle design, assembly, and/or manufacturing or cost of components produced in New Jersey (vendor).
- If applying for driver readiness and education bonus, proposed agendas, timelines, and methodology for public training sessions and vehicle demonstrations (vendor).
Application and Evaluation Process: Applications to the program from both applicants and vendors shall be submitted using NJEDA’s online application portal. The application portal has been open since April 6, 2021, until all funds are committed, on a first-come, first-served basis. The funding pool, initially $15,000,000, was expanded in September 2021 by $9,250,000, adding the greater New Brunswick area, and expanded as of December 1, 2021 by an additional $20,000,000, adding the greater Shore area. The portal for applicants and vendors is open simultaneously, allowing each to complete and submit their respective applications or portions of applications, including proof of eligibility. An applicant’s place in line will be determined based on the date and time that the completed application, inclusive of eligible vendor and vehicle details, is received by NJEDA, including any missing documentation.
NJEDA staff will review each application against the basic and bonus eligibility criteria outlined previously. All submitted applications will be reviewed for document completeness and eligibility on a rolling basis. Following the completeness review, applicants with missing documentation will receive an email notification from NJEDA to submit or re-submit any missing or incomplete required documentation by 5:00 P.M. on the 10th business day following the day on which it receives such notification (Extension Time).
After the applicant’s Extension Time, any application that does not include all of the documents specified or contain documents that have not been completed will be considered incomplete and will not be further reviewed for eligibility. Only complete applications will be reviewed for voucher eligibility.
Note: Due to COVID-19, it may take longer than usual for applicants to obtain certain New Jersey State documents, such as New Jersey Business Registration Certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate, and Women-, Minority-, or Veteran-Owned Business Certification. If an applicant has attempted to obtain the missing New Jersey State documents and has not received them by the extension time, the applicant may provide correspondence or receipts that demonstrate the attempt to obtain the missing documents to extend the extension time. The required missing documentation must be submitted before any approval of funds reservation will be made with respect to that applicant.
Once an application is reviewed and approved, the voucher funds are reserved for six months from the date of the voucher reservation approval letter. During this time, applicants and vendors will be required to execute an agreement outlining the voucher amount, terms, and conditions of the funding. Voucher funds will not be disbursed until the execution of such agreement by the applicant, vendor, and NJEDA. An extension for up to an additional six months to purchase and register the vehicle may be permitted and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Once vehicle is delivered to and registered by the applicant, with documentation of same provided to NJEDA, and all other relevant program agreements are met, including vehicle scrappage, as applicable, applicant’s voucher(s) may be redeemed by vendor.
Post-closing, staff will conduct periodic audits to confirm that applicant and vendor self-certifications are accurate, and commitments are upheld. In such cases where the audit reveals that the self-certification was not accurate or commitments were not upheld and this impacts eligibility, NJEDA may require, as remedy, that the funds be returned from either the applicant or the vendor and/or may refer these organizations to the relevant State agency for further investigation. Any intentional inaccuracies by an applicant or vendor in the self-certifications or failure to uphold relevant commitments by applicant or vendor may be considered by the Board in disqualifying the applicant or vendor from future contracting with or financial assistance from the NJEDA.
Other Terms and Conditions: By accepting the voucher funding, applicants and vendors will also agree to the following terms:
- Applicant will register the vehicle in the State of New Jersey for a minimum of the three initial, continuous years; and
- Annually operate at least 75 percent of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the State of New Jersey and annually operate 50 percent or more of VMT within either the greater Camden, greater Newark, greater New Brunswick, or greater Shore areas for a minimum of three continuous years from date of registration; or
- Annually operate at least 75 percent of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the State of New Jersey and have a registration address and domicile the vehicle within either the greater Camden, greater Newark, greater New Brunswick, or greater Shore areas for a minimum of three continuous years from date of registration.
- Vendors will provide:
- Certification from the vendor that the vehicle complies with all applicable State and Federal requirements for operation, including the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
- Warranty to applicant for the eligible vehicle, indicating at least three years or 50,000 miles of coverage, whichever comes first, covering, parts (at a minimum, motor, drive train, and batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.) and labor.
- In-State servicing plan for maintenance of applicant’s vehicle(s) aligned with industry norms and current best practices implemented by or before vehicle delivery.
- Charging or fueling needs and plans to address such needs, as applicable, to the technology, indicating if the applicant intends to use already available infrastructure (public or private) or including, if available, details on anticipated count, type, capacity, and location of chargers necessary for vehicle.
- NJEDA’s right to audit and verify compliance with eligibility requirements (both for general eligibility and bonus-criteria eligibility) post-voucher redemption and agree to provide responses and data upon request to support such audits and verifications. For example, to verify vehicle miles traveled within the eligible pilot communities, NJEDA may request data such as, but not limited to, telematics, route maps, delivery histories, etc.
- Permit the use by NJEDA of applicant, vendor, and vehicle data and information that is provided in the application and audit process, and that is not otherwise prohibited by law, for case studies and to support the development of future versions of this program, or future alternative programs.
- Commit to displaying a visual indication on the commercial vehicle that it is a ZEV and that its purchase was subsidized through this program, meeting minimum standards or as materially provided by NJEDA (for example, a bumper sticker, placard, etc.).
Inquiries: NJEDA will host informational webinar(s) on the NJ ZIP Pilot Program and a recording of the webinar(s) will be posted on the NJEDA’s webpage. Information on registration for the webinar(s) can be found on NJEDA’s webpage.
Questions and inquiries concerning this notice of funding will be accepted through the application deadline and should be submitted via email to njzip@njeda.com. The subject line of the email should state: “NJZIP Notice of Funding Question – [Organization Name].” Phone calls and/or faxes shall not be accepted.
All questions received and answers provided in response to this notice of funding will be answered in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, which will be posted and continuously updated on NJEDA’s website.
Confidentiality: Applications received will be reviewed only by staff of NJEDA, with good standing checks by sister agencies on applicants and vendors. All proposals submitted will be subject to requests for disclosure, including, but not limited to, a request pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. If the applicant believes that information contained in its proposal merits confidential treatment pursuant to OPRA, any such purportedly confidential information submitted shall be specifically identified and marked by the applicant.
The NJEDA issued a press release on September 15, 2021 advising of the date on which applications for the Small Business Lease Grant would open.
Further information about the Small Business Lease Grant was posted to the website on August 19, 2021, and can be found here.
Archived Notice of Funding Availabilities
OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS ACT (OPRA)
Here you’ll find the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s official OPRA Request for Information form, materials regarding the OPRA process, as well as a schedule of fees.
If you are interested in obtaining a user-friendly copy of the original OPRA legislation, as well as information on the OPRA appeals process, and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit New Jersey’s Government Records Council, the central organization that oversees the workings of the OPRA process throughout State government.
OPRA contact information at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority:
New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Attn: Custodian of Public Records
PO Box 990
Trenton, NJ 08625-0990
Phone (973) 855-3452
Fax: (973) 622-1576
E-mail: opra@njeda.com
ANNUAL REPORTS
- NJEDA ANNUAL REPORTS
- NJEDA ANNUAL REPORT TO LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEES
- PETROLEUM UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK ANNUAL REPORT
- HAZARDOUS DISCHARGE SITE REMEDIATION FUND ANNUAL REPORT
- BEIP ANNUAL REPORTS
- BRRAG ANNUAL REPORT
2021
Click here for the NJEDA 2021 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
Click here for the NJEDA COVID-19 Activity
2020
Click here for the NJEDA 2020 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA COVID-19 Project List
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
2019
Click here for the NJEDA 2019 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
2018
Click here for the NJEDA 2018 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
2017
Click here for the NJEDA 2017 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
2016
Click here for the NJEDA 2016 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Audited Financial Statements
2015
Click here for the NJEDA 2015 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2014
Click here for the NJEDA 2014 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2013
Click here for the NJEDA 2013 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2012
Click here for the NJEDA 2012 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2011
Click here for the NJEDA 2011 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2010
Click here for the NJEDA 2010 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2009
Click here for the NJEDA 2009 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements and Projects)
NJEDA Projects
2008
Click here for the NJEDA 2008 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements)
NJEDA Projects
2007
Click here for the NJEDA 2007 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements)
NJEDA Projects
2006
Click here for the NJEDA 2006 Annual Report
Click here for the NJEDA Comprehensive Annual Report (Includes Audited Financial Statements)
NJEDA Projects
2018
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2013
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2012
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2011
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2010
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2009
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
2008
Click here for the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Annual Report
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) offer assistance to municipalities, businesses, developers and community groups at various stages of the brownfield restoration process, from planning to cleanup and redevelopment.
The Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) has been an integral component of this assistance since 1993; helping to transform underutilized and contaminated sites into environmentally sound, productive properties. This is particularly important in the redevelopment of older urban areas so vital to achieving the smart growth objectives of the State’s Master Plan.
The NJEDA and the DEP, which jointly administer the program, are pleased to report the results of activities for calendar year 2008 under the HDSRF in accordance with N.J.S 58:10B-6. Click here to view.
2021
Click here to view the HDSRF report
2020
Click here to view the HDSRF report
2018 and 2019
Click here to view the HDSRF report
2013
Click here to view the HDSRF report
2012
Click here to view the HDSRF report.
2011
Click here to view the HDSRF report.
2010
Click here to view the HDSRF report.
2009
Click here to view the HDSRF report.
For more recent BEIP Annual Reports, please see the NJEDA Annual Reports. Moving forward, BEIP Annual Reports are included as an appendix on the NJEDA Annual Report.
2013
Click here for the FY2013 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2012
Click here for the FY2012 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2011
Click here for the FY2011 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2010
Click here for the FY2010 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2009
Click here for the FY2009 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2008
Click here for the FY2008 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2007
Click here for the FY2007 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2006
Click here for the FY2006 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
2005
Click here for the FY2005 BEIP Annual Report and Exhibits.
For more recent BRRAG Annual Reports, please see the NJEDA Annual Reports. Moving forward, BRRAG Annual Reports are included as an appendix on the NJEDA Annual Report.
2013
Click here for the FY2013 BRRAG Annual Report.
2012
Click here for the FY2012 BRRAG Annual Report.
2011
Click here for the FY2011 BRRAG Annual Report.
2010
Click here for the FY2010 BRRAG Annual Report.
2009
Click here for the FY2009 BRRAG Annual Report.
2008
Click here for the FY2008 BRRAG Annual Report.
ACTIVITY & OTHER REPORTS
- COVID-19 ASSISTANCE ACTIVITY REPORTS
- MAIN STREET RECOVERY FINANCE PROGRAM
- FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS WITH CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY
- NEW JERSEY MANUFACTURING VOUCHER PROGRAM
- INCENTIVES ACTIVITY REPORTS
- PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW- INCENTIVES
- NJEDA BOARD GOVERNANCE REVIEW
Please visit the links below for a list COVID-19 impacted businesses and non-profit organizations the NJEDA has assisted through emergency grants and loans.
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program (Phase 1)
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program (Phase 2)
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program (Phase 3)
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program (Phase 4)
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program
- Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program (Phase 2)
- NJ Entrepreneur Support Program
- CDFI Emergency Assistance Grant Program / CDFI Loan Loss Reserve Fund Program
- Sustain and Serve NJ Program
- NJ Community Stage Grant Program
- Commuter and Transit Bus Private Carrier Pandemic Relief and Jobs Grant
Comprehensive information about New Jersey’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak is available here: https://cv.business.nj.gov.
The Main Street Recovery Finance Program is a suite of programs to support New Jersey micro business owners and partnering entities that can serve New Jersey micro businesses.
Please visit the links below for a list of businesses and non-profit organizations the NJEDA has assisted through the Main Street Recovery Finance Program.
Click here for Financially Assisted Projects with Construction Activity Report
New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program
Please visit the link below for a list of organizations the NJEDA has approved under the New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program. Click here
Completed and Certified Incentive Projects
The Completed and Certified Incentive Project report is a compilation of all projects approved under the Grow New Jersey Assistance (Grow NJ), Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) and Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit programs that have certified completion and received tax credits or reimbursements to date.
Click here to view the Completed and Certified Incentive Project report.
Emerge/Aspire Program Cap Utilization
The Emerge Tax Credit Program with NJ Aspire Program are capped at $1.1B per year over 6 years, with an option to roll-over unused program cap to a seventh year. Click here to view current allocation and Incentive Activity report
Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program
Click here for a list of approved Film Tax Credit projects
Click here for a list of approved the Digital Media Tax Credit projects
Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP)
Click here for a list of all executed BEIP grants (alphabetically)
Economic Redevelopment and Growth Program (ERG)
Click here for a list of all approved ERG projects under the N.J. Economic Opportunity Act of 2013
Click here for a list of all approved Legacy ERG projects.
Business Retention and Relocation Assistance Grant Program (BRRAG)
Click here for a list of all executed BRRAG grants (by date).
Grow New Jersey Assistance Program
Click here for a list of approved Grow NJ projects since the enactment of the N.J. Economic Opportunity Act of 2013.
Click here for a list of approved Legacy Grow NJ projects (prior to enactment of NJ Economic Opportunity Act of 2013
Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program
Click here for a list of approved Urban Transit Hub projects (by date).
Review of Grow New Jersey and Economic Redevelopment and Growth Programs – Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Click here
Office of the State Auditor – New Jersey Economic Development Authority Selected Incentive Programs – July 1, 2011 to September 30, 2016 Click here
