Is your project the right fit?
As you consider if an LCA program is the right fit for your project we always recommend looking at both the scoring criteria and the list of eligible activities (found on the program pages). The scoring criteria will give you a sense of how competitive your project might be, and the list of eligible activities will let you know what our programs can pay for. Even if your project might score well, if there are not eligible activities you need supported then the program is likely not the best fit for your project.
About the application process
The first step to starting the application process is to talk with a staff member in the city where your project will be located or at the partnering organization you would like to support your application. Typically, applications are submitted by a city or Economic Development Authority (EDA). If you don’t know who to talk to, just reach out to a program officer for LCA. We can get you connected to the right person.
All Minneapolis applications go through Jamie Radel (jamie.radel@minneapolismn.gov) Kevin Carroll for TBRA (kevin.carroll@minneapolismn.gov). It’s important to note that Minneapolis has their own application process to decide which projects they will submit to LCA, so there are different application dates for projects in Minneapolis.
Once you talk to someone in the city about your interest in LCA, get in touch with the program officer for the program you’re most interested in. We can schedule a call with you to talk about the program, the application process, and what we look for in an application.
Each city will have a slightly different process for submitting applications to LCA. Some cities are very involved in writing the application and some choose to review an application that the developer puts together. We recommend talking to city staff about their process and how you can best partner to complete an application. There are additional tips from past applicants listed in the Tips for Project Teams section on the Apply for LCA Grants page.
Because the programs can only make grant agreements with government organizations, if your project team is awarded funding that funding will be awarded to the government organization submitting the application. You will work with the organization staff on how the grant funds will be sent to you. All the funds are made on a reimbursement basis, so in most cases you will have to fund the initial activities and then get reimbursed by the government organization. We recommend setting up a sub-recipient agreement between the development team and the government organization so everyone knows exactly what to expect and timelines for payment.
The best advice we can offer to project teams is to talk with the program officer early. Program officers can answer your questions about the program, what we are prioritizing, and review the application process with you.