Community Recovery and Revitalization Program

Program Overview

In 2022, the Vermont Legislature, through Act 183 and 185, appropriated $40,000,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) for the Community Recovery and Revitalization Program (CRRP).

The CRRP will provide funding for projects that spur economic recovery and revitalization in communities across the state. Eligible uses for these funds include capital improvements related to the renovation or creation of childcare and affordable housing for low and moderate income households, capital projects that assist nonprofits and small businesses in industries* most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and municipal water supply and wastewater projects that build housing or create jobs through business creation and expansion. These recovery funds are intended to retain and expand existing businesses and nonprofit organizations with a preference for projects that primarily serve BIPOC populations and projects located in regions and communities with declining or stagnant grand list values. More details about project eligibility can be found at the links at the bottom of this page.

*Impacted Industries are for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the following sectors:

• Agriculture
• Educational Services
• Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation
• Accommodation & Food Services

If you are a non-English speaker and need translation assistance, please contact ACCD staff (ACCD.CRRP@vermont.gov) to be connected with State-contracted translation and interpretation services.

Application Priority Process

For the first 30 days, as part of the State of Vermont's commitment to build on local, state, and national efforts to advance equity and to increase meaningful inclusion and representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, ACCD will prioritize applications from BIPOC organizations and organizations that primarily serve BIPOC populations.

ACCD will also prioritize the review of applications from non-Metropolitan Statistical Areas (non-MSAs) in the first 30 days. A Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a designation used by the Federal government to identify multi-county clusters with a population density of at least 50,000. In Vermont, non-MSA communities are located in Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor counties.

There is no deadline for the CRRP application; it is a rolling application process. The last day of the 30-day priority application period for BIPOC and non-MSA areas is December 29, 2022. After this date, all applications will be reviewed, but BIPOC and non-MSA applications will still be prioritized. The application portal will stay open until all funds are allocated.

Applicant Eligibility

For the CRRP, an eligible small business meets the following criteria: 

• It is located in the State of Vermont. 
• It is a for-profit entity with not less than a 10 percent equity interest in the project. 
• It does not have more than 20 locations (in total, with any affiliated businesses, regardless of whether those locations do business under the same name or within the same industry). 
• It is not publicly traded. 
• It has no more than 500 employees. 
• It is considered a small business concern as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act. 

For the CRRP, an eligible nonprofit meets the following criteria: 

• It is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization. 
• It is located in the State of Vermont. 
• It is undertaking an eligible project in an impacted industry, childcare, QCT, or affordable housing. 

For the CRRP, an eligible municipality may include:

• A city, town, town school district, incorporated school or fire district or incorporated village, and all other governmental incorporated units. 

Project Eligibility

A number of projects are eligible for funding within the CRRP. These include:

• Projects located in Qualified Census Tracts (QCT). 
  • To determine whether a project is located in a QCT:
    • Enter the project address into this QCT eligibility tool and locate the QCT number; OR
    • If you already know it, reference your QCT number on this QCT list. If the census tract of a project appears in any of the three annual tables listed (2020, 2021,or 2022), it is eligible to apply for CRRP.
• Projects related to reopening assistance or business expansion within an Impacted Industry.
  • F​​or-profit applicants must provide evidence of 10% equity investment in the project.
  • All businesses must be domiciled in Vermont and the primary place of business in Vermont.
• Development or renovation of new affordable housing units that serve low to moderate income households.
• Childcare projects that expand or create new opportunities to serve low to moderate income families.
• Municipal wastewater and water supply projects that support the development of a new business establishment, the expansion of an existing business, or the development of new affordable housing units.

The Summary Table below broadly details the eligible applicants and their proposed uses of CRRP funds.

Summary Table of Eligible Uses