Policy Development

Match amount: 25% match from the City. This will be refunded when the final policy is brought to the City Council.

Award limits: $50,000 per city 

Application Limits: One per city

Grant terms: Two years

Extensions: Up to one year

Excess available funding: If not all the funding is awarded, the remaining funds may be added to the regular LCDA or TOD Development categories. 

$200,000 available with an award limit of $50,000 per city

The Policy Development program can support creating locally adopted, enforceable policies that have an impact on physical development city-wide or in a specific defined area, for example a station area. The funds can only pay for activities that happen after the grant is awarded. Any work that was completed before award won’t be eligible. Like with other LCA programs the funds will be awarded as reimbursements for work completed.

Eligible Activities 

What: Proposed Project Outcomes
Policy Development

• Consultant services to develop a policy that will further LCA and Thrive goals
• Staff time directly related to developing an eligible policy that will further LCA and Thrive goals

Ineligible Activities

• Work done before the grant was awarded
• General staff time not directly related to policy development

Policy development applications are scored by a review panel of Community Development staff at the Metropolitan Council. The review panel will look to see how much the Policy Development grant activities will support a policy that meets Livable Communities and Thrive goals as well as engagement around developing the policy. The specific scoring criteria and weighting are in the scoring table.

Look through the scoring criteria and how each section is weighed to see how your project might score in the review process.

You can download a Word document of the application here. It can be helpful for collaborating on the application. 

More information about the how the projects are scored is available in the Policy Development 2024 Evaluation Explanation (PDF). We strongly recommend that you review this document as you complete your application

Policy Development Scoring Table
While we recognize there are different types of inequities based on identity and circumstance, LCA is focused on addressing racial inequity in the region given race is the largest predictor of inequitable outcomes in jobs, housing, and other LCA goals. Projects addressing racial equity will be prioritized in scoring. Projects addressing other inequities will earn points towards how they address those inequities but will not receive full points unless they also consider the intersection of racial inequity.
Category	Criteria	Points
What: Policy Development Outcomes
The goals and vision of the proposed policy would meet one or more of the following LCA and/or Thrive goals:
LCA and Thrive Goals	Support affordable housing by allowing for more development of new affordable housing or preservation of existing affordable housing Support wealth building and economic opportunity for communities who have experienced historic wealth extraction Minimizing climate impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving natural resources Support more equitable development outcomes in physical developments and/or through city process to approve physical developments	30
How: Policy Development Process
Process	The process will include analysis of who will benefit most from the policy and in what ways, and use findings to influence equitable development strategies and outcomes	10
Who: Policy Development Team
Who is Involved	The project team has a defined scope of work with tangible goals	10
Total Possible Points		50
Applications must score at least 25 of the possible 50 points

After reviewing the funding availability, timeline, and eligibility sections please visit the Apply for LCA Grants page for details on how to apply for the Policy Development program.

A resolution of support from your City Council is required for application to the program. Saving Documents Please save all documents as compressed PDF files with the naming format: [Applicant_Project_AttachmentName]. For example, a site plan from City Y for their Downtown Development would be named City Y_Downtown Development_Site Plan.

Contact the program officer if you have any questions about how to save or attach any of the required documents

Required Documents
Scope of Work that will guide the consultant you intend to hire

Grantees submit semi-annual reports outlining ongoing project progress. These progress reports are supplemented by details provided in each payment request. Depending on the activities included in your grant award, there may be additional reporting requirements. These will be included in the grant agreement. For example, projects awarded funding for community engagement should document the engagement process and submit a final report with their final payment request.

A final report is required with the last payment request. The final report will ask about project successes, the impact of the grant funding, and any challenges in completing the project.

As a grantee you are responsible for alerting the LCA grants administration team of any changes to the project. The grant administrator will work with you to decide if there needs to be an amendment to your grant agreement based on the project changes.
 
Contact LCA Grants Manager with questions regarding reporting requirements and grant follow-up
Nicole Clapp, Grants Manager, (651)-602-1723 nicole.clapp@metc.state.mn.us