SKCCIF Economic Opportunities for Communities Program

The Port of Seattle is now accepting applications for the 2025 South King County Community Impact Fund (SKCCIF) Economic Opportunities for Communities (EOC) Program. This initiative is designed to support historically underrepresented communities by increasing access to living-wage jobs in port-related industries, including aviation, construction trades, green jobs, and maritime. The program aims to provide workforce development resources and career-readiness programming to individuals living in near-airport cities and South King County, extending to the Duwamish Valley and Beacon Hill. The EOC Program was developed from the Economic Recovery Program established in 2020 in response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, the program shifted its focus to fostering long-term economic opportunities. For 2025, the Port of Seattle has allocated approximately $2 million in funding. Applicants may apply for either single-year grants ranging from $65,000 to $115,000 or multi-year funding (up to three years) between $100,000 and $275,000. The program is targeted at community-based organizations that meet specific eligibility requirements, including holding a 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 nonprofit status or having a fiscal sponsor. Eligible applicants must demonstrate experience working with underrepresented communities and implementing career-prep and workforce development programs in port-related industries. Applicants must design projects that align with three key focus areas: increasing awareness and access to port-related careers, providing workforce development through career-prep and work-based learning strategies, and ensuring equitable access to opportunities for underrepresented groups, such as communities of color, low-income individuals, immigrants, refugees, and other structurally excluded populations. Organizations with a physical office presence in the six near-airport cities will be given preference during the evaluation process. The application process requires organizations to submit proposals through the Port’s VendorConnect system by searching for Procurement #00322251 and downloading the necessary application materials. Completed applications, including all required documents, must be emailed to e-submittals-sa@portseattle.org by April 10, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. PST. Applicants are encouraged to complete the SKCCIF EOC Self-Assessment to evaluate their alignment with the funding criteria before applying. To assist applicants, the Port of Seattle is hosting several virtual Information and Q&A sessions, with scheduled dates on March 11, March 19, and March 25, 2025. Additionally, technical assistance sessions for navigating VendorConnect will be available on March 10, March 17, and April 2, 2025. All questions related to the RFP must be submitted in writing through VendorConnect, and organizations must be registered as a "Plan Holder" to receive updates and submit inquiries. For additional information, applicants can contact the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team at Equity@portseattle.org. More details about the funding opportunity, program objectives, and past projects can be found in the SKCCIF Funding FAQs and VendorConnect resources.