Representative Veronica Escobar

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar's

Federal Grants Newsletter

Dear [salutation],

It is truly an honor to represent El Paso in the United States Congress. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the budget for FY24 through two separate government funding bills, which made millions of dollars available in grants through federal grant-making agencies.

I encourage your entity to visit websites like grants.gov to identify potential grants that can be used to expand services and lift your organization’s status in El Paso.

Learn more here about how my office can support grant applicants.

Funding Highlights in the

16th Congressional District of Texas

Recently, the City of El Paso was selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Communities LEAP for clean energy development and sustainable transportation projects for communities between the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry and Stanton and Paso del Norte Ports of Entry. El Paso was 1 of 30 communities selected for this incredible opportunity.

I’m proud to share that the Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home is set to update their fire alarm system through a $390,900 award from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. This funding is set to enhance safety features in a facility that houses just some of our nation’s incredible heroes.

Recently, the University of Texas at El Paso was awarded $25,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The funding will be used to support a mixed-methods study examining the impact of a dance and movement cross-training intervention on healthcare providers.

Federal Funding Opportunities & Announcements

FY25 Appropriations Requests

BREAKING: My office has extended the deadline for Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Requests! Visit my website to learn more about Programmatic, Language, and Community Projects Funding Appropriations Requests.

What are the different types of appropriation requests that you can make?

Programmatic Request: Members may request specific funding levels for agencies and programs funded in the twelve appropriations bills. Example: Provide $4,000,000,000 for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Language Request: Members may request bill language or report language directing or encouraging specific actions by federal agencies. Example: Encouraging the National Cancer Institute to support research to develop diagnostic tests for early detection of kidney cancer.
Community Project Funding Request: Members may request funding for specific projects in their communities, so long as the projects have a federal nexus and meet other requirements established by federal law, House Rules, and the Committee to ensure only high-quality projects are requested and funded. Example: Provide $500,000 for a specific entity in El Paso, Texas.

The deadline for submitting requests to my office is April 19, 2024.

In March, I voted in favor of the two federal government funding bills to avoid a government shutdown. The two funding bills invest in critical government programs and services that support El Pasoans. Also included in both bills were $19,223,573 for 15 community projects across El Paso.

Check out the full list of community projects here.

Air Monitoring and Air Quality Sensors Grants – EPA is announcing the availability of approximately $81 million in non-competitive, direct award funding from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) for eligible state, local, Tribal and territorial air agencies to establish new ambient air monitoring sites and maintain, operate, or upgrade existing ambient air monitoring networks. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2024

Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program: Implementation Grants Competition for Tribes and Territories – The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Deadline to apply is May 1, 2024.

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program – Created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. Deadline to apply is April 12, 2024.

Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Program – To provide critically needed resources to fire departments and non-profit organizations to carry out fire prevention education and training, fire code enforcement, fire/arson investigation, firefighter safety and health programming, strategic national projects, prevention efforts, and research and development. Deadline to apply is April 12, 2024.

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) – This program enables VA to provide resources toward community-based suicide prevention efforts to meet the needs of veterans and their families through outreach, suicide prevention services, and connections to VA and community resources. Deadline to apply is April 26, 2024.

Upcoming Webinars

ReConnect Program Ask Me Anything Webinar for Tribal Applicants - Presented by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), this AMA webinar will provide Tribal stakeholders with an opportunity to ask questions directly to RUS staff about the ReConnect Program and requirements outlined in the recently published ReConnect Round 5 NOFO.

Date and Time: Wednesday, April 3, 2024, from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MT.
Register here.

ReConnect Round 5: Financial Web - Presented by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service, this webinar will focus on preparing information that applicants will need to complete the financial portion of a ReConnect application.

Date and Time: Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM MT.
Register here.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) – A competitive grant program that will focus on building networks of connected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, including to better connect trail networks between communities. FHWA is hosting two informational webinars:

Business Center

I was proud to secure $500,000 for the expansion of the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) facility. This substantial investment marks a crucial step forward in ongoing efforts to drive economic growth and provide vital support to local businesses. I look forward to sharing more about this project in the near future.

ATTENTION ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS! The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a new Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub as a one-stop-shop for companies to find U.S. government policies and resources.

Find the Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub here.

Check out Project Vida’s Economic Development Program! Project Vida’s Economic Development Program is fostering small businesses by offering tailored business solutions, enriching seminars, and vital support services for entrepreneurial growth and prosperity.

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