The Washington State Department of Commerce has a new way to help people and businesses through the Community Reinvestment Project (CRP). It’s called the Blended Capital Enhancement grant, and it aims to support by-and-for lending agencies, businesses, and organizations reduce wealth disparities within Black, Latine, and tribal communities through asset building. 

This program will help fund programs that:

• Make it easier for people to buy a home.
• Provide grants and loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Money management training
• Fund training and support for small businesses.
• Assist with buying commercial property, business assets, and vehicles.
• Help people reduce debt and save more using matching funds.

The goal of this grant is to make it easier for Black, Latine, and tribal communities to get financial support from local organizations and businesses in their community.

What does funding look like?

A total of $42 million is available for this grant, with specific allocations reserved for various purposes, including:

• New construction loans: $5 million
• Home expansion loans (including Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs): $6 million
• Business startups and expansions: $5 million
• Consumer loans (like credit consolidation, car refinancing, or emergency expenses): $1 million

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Commerce is looking for applications from lending agencies, businesses, organizations, and tribal governments who are interested in providing financial support, grants, and loans to Black, Latine, and tribal communities across Washington state. Eligible applicants must be led by-and-for Black, Latine, and tribal communities, or partner with an organization that is by-and-for.

Please note that Commerce is not a lending agency. Only organizations, businesses, lending agencies, and tribal governments who provide financial support, grants, and loans are eligible to apply for the Blended Capital Enhancement Grant. 

If you are individual or small business looking for funding for your own project, please sign-up for our mailing list to be notified when providers are offering financial services you are eligible for. 

Minimum Qualifications

1. You must be one of these types of organizations:
A. Federally recognized tribal government, tribal-led 501(c3), or tribal-led community based organizations; OR
B. Organizations who are led by Black, Latine, and tribal communities in WA; OR
C. Organizations who partner with Black, Latine, and/or tribal community-led organizations AND can provide tangible evidence of their relationship to those communities.

2. You must be licensed to do business in the State of Washington (except for federally recognized tribes)
A. Licensed to do business in the State of Washington, OR
B. Submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor

Pre-Application Q&A Conference on Zoom

Commerce is hosting a pre-application Q&A on June 12, 2024 from 3 to 4pm. Join us on Zoom and bring your questions. Attendance is optional, but registration is required to attend the meeting.

Register today 

Email you application by July 1, 2024 to contract manager Cristi Kraus.

Download the RFQ (PDF)

For questions about this grant, email contract manager Cristi Kraus.

Due to a large number of questions, Q & A will be posted as it becomes available. 

AMENDED 6/21/2024 – See the Minimum Qualifications for amendment

CRP’s Community Healer grant supports healing services and activities that are by-and-for communities disproportionally harmed by the war on drugs in Washington. This grant can fund programs that offer intergenerational healing, burnout prevention, traditional healing practices, and much more. Total funding for this grant is $5.7 million, and organizations can apply for up to $500,000 depending on their annual budget.

Funding will prioritize the following communities, as aligned with the goals in the Community Reinvestment Plan:

• Black communities
• Latine communities
• Tribal nations
• Tribal communities
• Urban Indian communities

Optional pre-proposal conference for organizations and businesses

Commerce hosted a optional webinar for organizations who had questions about this grant on Monday June 24, 2024 at 1 p.m., Pacific Time.

View the webinar
Password: .WzF?Nv0
View the slide deck

Optional pre-proposal conference for tribal governments and tribal-led 501(c)3s

An optional webinar for tribal governments, tribal-led 501(c)3s and tribal-led organizations was held on Tuesday June 25, 2024 at 3 p.m. over Zoom. 

View the webinar
Password: De08TX#T
View the slide deck

To qualify for this grant, applicants must be

1. A federally recognized tribal government; OR
2. Licensed to do business in the State of Washington, or submit a statement of commitment to become licensed in Washington with thirty (30) days of being selected as the apparent successful contractor; AND
3. Register as a Community Reinvestment Project (CRP) by-and-for organization, or be contractually partnered with a registered CRP by-and-for organization to deliver the Objectives and Scope of Work identified in the RFP.

To register as a CRP by-and-for, visit https://bit.ly/crpwareg and click the option that says “Community Healer” under type of organization. To see a list of CRP-verified by-and-for organizations, email crp@commerce.wa.gov.

How much can my organization apply for?

Tier 1: Organizations with annual budgets under $150,000—can apply up to $50,000
Tier 2: Organizations with annual budgets between $150,001 and $500,000—can apply up to $150,000
Tier 3: Organizations with annual budgets $500,001 to $1 million—can apply up to $250,000
Tier 4: Organizations with annual budgets over $1 million—can apply up to $500,000
Commerce expects to award multiple contracts for this solicitation.   
Proposals are due no later than July 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time

Application Timeline

• Request for Proposals launched: June 12, 2024
• Q&A Period: June 12, 2024 – June 30, 2024
  • Q&A Posted 6/21/24 (PDF)
• General Pre-Proposal Conference: June 24, 2024
• Tribal Pre-Proposal Conference: June 25, 2024
• Proposals Due: July 13, 2024 at 11:59pm
• Funding Period: August 15, 2024 – June 30, 2025

APPLY HERE

REVIEW THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (PDF)

For questions or more information, please contact the RFP coordinator, jd Nielsen.