Funding Opportunities

Agricultural Enterprise Fund

Who does it help? Farmers and forestland owners across Tennessee.

AEF is an incentive program aimed at facilitating agricultural development. The program focuses on value-added and processing projects that benefit other producers or forest landowners. Successful grant recipients must demonstrate a strong potential for impact on local farm income, access to markets, increased capacity or agricultural innovation.

Eligible Applicants: Must be a Tennessee entity or have a project based in Tennessee. Applicants must demonstrate that project will increase farm income for local farmers, enhace access to agricultural markets, increase capacity of their business, or contribute to the agriculture industry through innovation. Applicants must purchase at 25% of ag inputs from Tennessee producers. Equipment and structures reimbursed with cost share funds must be utilized for a minimum of five (5) years from date of purchase.

Contact: agriculture.enterprisefund@tn.gov or call  (615) 289-7955

Application deadline: Dec. 5, 2022

Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program

Who does it help? Farmers and forestland owners across Tennessee.

TAEP provides cost share dollars to agricultural producers for the purpose of making long-term investments in Tennessee farms and communities. TAEP helps producers to maximize farm profits, adapt to changing market situations, improve operational safety, increase farm efficienct, and make a positive economic impact in local communities.

Eligible Applicants: Visit this link.

Contact info is listed here.

Application deadline: October 2023

2022-2023 Start-up and Expansion Grants

In February 2019, Governor Bill Lee announced the Future Workforce Initiative aimed at increasing access to (a) CTE and (b) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the classroom. This grant will emphasize middle school career and technical education (CTE) classrooms across Tennessee with the goal of adding an additional 100 new middle school STEM programs by 2022.

To increase student enrollment in WBL courses, the Governor has allocated funding through theFuture Workforce Initiative to support LEAs in the development of self-sustaining school-basedenterprises (SBEs). The 2022-23 School-Based Enterprise Start-Up Grants are intended to driveinnovation in implementing meaningful work-based learning experiences for students who facebarriers to participate in off-campus placements.

Eligible Applicants: Local education agencies (LEAs), as defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), or who will act as the fiscal agent for a regional consortium of LEAs, postsecondary institutions, and industry partners.

For more information, click here.

Application deadline:  2022-2023 school year due October 31, 2022

GearUP Grants - Additional Details Coming Soon!

Who does it help? GEAR UP grants serve students at middle and high schools with 50% or more of their student body qualifying for free or reduced-priced lunch.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) administers Tennessee's state GEAR UP project, operating under the name GEAR UP TN. The goal of GEAR UP is to improve college readiness and success of students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds.

Eligible Applicants: TBD

Contact: Duane.Gregg@tn.gov

Application deadline: Expected realease in November 2022

Mini Grant

Who does it help? County Health Councils

This one-time non-competitive grant is available to support County Health Councils in the implementation of their Community Health Needs Assessment. We have seen Health Councils provide healthy snacks for gatherings where they’re getting community input, take out newspaper ads where they publicized their survey (with a link and QR code), print and mail postcards with the survey information on them, buy banners and other materials so they can do community input sessions all around the county, buy equipment for virtual engagement.

Eligible Applicants: Any Tennessee County Health Council starting their Community Health Assessment in 2022 and 2023.

Contact: Jennifer.Trail@tn.gov

Application deadline: Ongoing

Healthcare Resiliency Program (HRP)

Who does it help? Healthcare facilities

The Tennessee Dept. of Health’s Healthcare Resiliency Program (HRP) will award competitive grants to eligible applicants in two categories – Capital Investments, and Practice Transformation and Extension – meant to expand capacity, enhance care delivery, invest in technology, and improve access to health and healthcare services across the state.

Eligible Applicants: Acute care, Long-term care, and other health and healthcare facilities

Contact: Jw. randolph@tn.gov

Application deadline: Opened November 3, 2022

County Health Council Collaborative Action for Resilience and Equity (CARE) Grants

Who does it help? County Health Councils and their communities throughout Tennessee

In 2021, the Tennessee Department of Health was awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to address health disparities caused or exacerbated by COVID-19 with at-risk and/or underserved populations. A portion of that grant has been dedicated to support County Health Councils with funding as they identify and initiate community-led strategies to address health disparities and work for health equity in their counties. Through their CHA, County Health Councils will uncover these community needs, and in response to their findings, will implement initiatives with this funding support

Eligible Applicants: Any Tennessee County Health Council having completed a CHA/CHIP during the 2019pilot cycle, or during the 2022 cycle, is eligible to apply for funding to support theimplementation of a CHIP. Please note that Health Councils without 501(c)(3) status willneed to identify a fiscal sponsor to apply for and receive funds on their behalf. These couldinclude, but are not limited to, a partner 501(c)(3) agency, a county government, or a localdevelopment district, among others.

Contact: Jennifer.Trail@tn.gov

Application deadline: Current

Healthy Built Environments Grants

Who does it help? Counties

Increase access to publicly-accessible health promoting built environment infrastructure

Eligible Applicants: All communities are eligible with priority given to economically distressed counties.

Contact: john.vick@tn.gov

Application deadline: Coming December 2022

Child Care Establishment Grant

Who does it help? New Agencies in the Pre-Licensure Process

Through Establishment and Expansion Grants, TDHS provides child care agencies financial support for furniture, equipment, supply, and curriculum costs associated with opening a new child care agency or expanding licensed capacity at an existing agency.

Contact: Customer Service 615-313-4700

Application deadline: Rolling application period

Child Care Expansion Grant

Who does it help? Existing Licensed Child Care Agencies

Through Establishment and Expansion Grants, TDHS provides child care agencies financial support for furniture, equipment, supply, and curriculum costs associated with opening a new child care agency or expanding licensed capacity at an existing agency.

Contact: Customer Service 615-313-4700

Application deadline: Rolling application period

Child Care Enhancement Grant

Who does it help? Existing Licensed Child Care Agencies

Child Care Enhancement grants will continue to be available to licensed child care agencies to increase capacity, strengthen quality, and/or promote compliance with State licensing standards.

Contact: Customer Service 615-313-4700

Application deadline: Rolling application period

Licensed Child Care Disaster/Emergency Response and Recovery Grants

Who does it help? Child care agencies that are licensed in the area impacted by disaster or emergency

Application deadline: Opened in response to specific disasters or emergencies as they occur

Contact: Customer Service 615-313-4700

Child Care WAGE$® Tennessee

Who does it help? New or Existing Child Care Agencies’ Staff through financial incentives based on their education and continuity of employment.

The Child Care WAGE$® Program is an education-based salary supplement program for child care educators employed in DHS Licensed Child Care agencies.

Contact: 423-698-8528 #650, #651 or web: tnwages.org

Application deadline: Rolling application period

TANF Community Grants

Who does it help? Public and private organizations in Tennessee with evidence-based and evidence-informed program models who can administer community-based services to meet the needs of low-income families, placing the whole family on a path to permanent economic security.

Grant program that infuses TANF funding nto the community through organizations providing services to low-income families.

Contact: Customer Service 615-313-4700

Application deadline: Application period opens in January-Febuary of each year.

Tourism Educational Scholarships

Who does it help? Municipalities and Destination Marketing Organizations

Contact: Andi.Grindley@tn.gov

Application deadline: Various

Tourism Enhancement Grant

The Tourism Enhancement Grant was developed to provide tourism infrastructure resources to enhance and improve the tourism economic impact in Tennessee counties.

Contact: Andi.Grindley@tn.gov

Application deadline: TBD 2023

Tourism Marketing Grant

Who does it help? Municipalities

The marketing grant provides tourism organizations such as CVBs, chambers of commerce or regional tourism organizations a way to expand their marketing message. The partnership is designed to increase visitation to their community and increase travel-generated revenue, while leveraging TDTD’s brand and marketing efforts/initiatives. Partnerships awarded are limited to available funds, as well as the number of requests received.

Contact: Andi.Grindley@tn.gov

Application deadline: July 1, 2023