Overview

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) has designated the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) as the administrative agency for pass-through bond awards related to public safety, emergency management and telecommunications projects. The following programs, if assigned to DESPP, will utilize the Municipal Grant Program (MGP) process

• Urban Act Grants: Urban Act grants-in-aid provide funding to severely distressed municipalities and urban communities to alleviate excessively deteriorated neighborhoods and community revitalization areas with population-out migration.
• Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP): The STEAP program provides grants-in-aid to towns that: (a) do not meet the Urban Act Grants Program criteria for being economically distressed, having an urban center, or being a public investment community and (b) have a population under 30,000.
• Municipal Grant-In Aid Grants: This program permits towns that do not qualify for either of the Urban Act Grants Program or the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) to apply for grants-in-aid under the provisions of the Urban Act Grants Program.

These programs are issued by the State Bond Commission. As a result, MGP awards can only be used for capital projects. Programmatic expenditures or recurring budget expenditures are not eligible for any state bond program.

To apply for this program or inquire about STEAP funding, please visit the Office of Policy and Management Website.