Accelerating Access to DEEP Funding

DEEP is accelerating access to its funding through 20BY26 Goals 11 and 15.

In Goal 11, DEEP is speeding up key grant and contracting processes that it controls. DEEP administers roughly 35 individual grant programs from 14 different federal agencies totaling $370 million and counting. These funds support agency operations and pass-through contracts to nonprofits, municipalities, and other grantees. Background on this goal is presented in DEEP’s 20BY26, Setting the Target: CT DEEP 2026 Goals (February 2024).

 Latest Progress (as of Fall 2024)

DEEP has established a tracking baseline that starts with the grant award letter and ends with a fully executed, signed contract to measure and assess success metrics for this goal. During the fourth quarter, DEEP collected baseline data for four of its main grant programs on contracting timeframes. We gathered information on the last two complete grant contracting years (2022 and 2023) so that we can compare those years with each other as well as with the current year (2024). DEEP’s agency-wide planner board went online earlier this year (see Winter and Spring 2024 below), and some of the most recent results might be incomplete until 2025.  

EXECUTED AND PENDING CONTRACTS BY PROGRAM

This graphic displays the total tally of grants administered under 4 main funding programs - AIS, CVA, Rec Trails, and UGCG – which cross 3 bureaus – DEEP’s Bureau of Natural Resources, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, and the Commissioner’s Office. During the 2022 – 2024 period, there were 172 executed contracts as well as 85 contracts still pending execution. Most of those contracts pending execution received award letters earlier in 2024, but some outliers include a few older 2022/2023 UGCG grants.

Average Number of Days to Execute a Contract

Shown in the graphics below are the average grant time period results for executed contracts only for the AIS, CVA, Rec Trails, and UGCG grant programs.  

The bar charts summarize the number of contracts per funding program, as well as the current status as either “executed” or “pending.”

The green dot in each year is the average number of days to execute a contract. The box and whiskers diagram gives a sense of both how the data is more tightly grouped as well as the outliers.

 Up Next

For the next 20BY26 reporting quarter, we expect to add more grant programs to the baseline data and start to draw initial conclusions on processing speed across grant programs, as well as recommendations for ways to meet the overall Goal 11 target.  

Also, DEEP will develop a tool for applicants to search grant opportunities on DEEP's Grants & Financial Assistance webpage, followed by an introductory webinar on DEEP grant applications that will be recorded for continued use.

In Goal 15, DEEP is focused on leveraging vital federal and state incentives and funding to expand clean energy, energy efficiency, broadband, and reduction of greenhouse gases, among other environmental priorities, and sharing this information broadly with residents and businesses. Background on this goal is presented in DEEP’s 20BY26, Setting the Target: CT DEEP 2026 Goals (February 2024).

 Latest Progress (as of Fall 2024)

DEEP has prepared a draft Request for Proposals for an Energy, Sustainability, & Broadband Navigator Tool that will be posted soon. This tool will more easily connect residents with the available state, local, and federal energy, sustainability, and broadband incentives and funding opportunities.

In addition, DEEP is developing a tool in Power BI for applicants to search grant opportunities on our Grants & Financial Assistance webpage (see coordination with Goal 11), and updating the information on our BIL / IRA webpage to show where DEEP is now with respect to the funding awarded - DEEP was granted over $500 million, with approximately half of the awards for clean, efficient, and reliable energy.

 Up Next

DEEP will continue working with interested stakeholders to develop the Energy, Sustainability, & Broadband Navigator Tool.

 

Previous Page | Next Page

Content last updated March 2025