State Grants

The Diversity in Teaching (DIT) program grant competitively funds two-year proposals from regionally accredited colleges and universities domiciled in Tennessee, for the development of programs with a commitment to diversity as an instructional tool, and that increase the number of K-12 teachers in Tennessee from underrepresented groups.***Please check back soon for FY24-26 funding information and updates.***

Federal program designed to help homeless individuals / families enter into a shelter with the goal of finding affordable housing or maintain affordable housing. THDA administers the federally funded Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program for the state of Tennessee in 92 of the state's 95 counties in order to fund the provision of services necessary to help persons who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness to quickly regain stability in permanent housing.

This grant provides funding to local education agencies in Tennessee to establish Family Resource Centers that support children and families facing high-risk challenges such as poverty, substance abuse, and domestic violence through collaborative community partnerships.

This grant provides financial support to local communities for infrastructure improvements that benefit companies creating new jobs and making capital investments.

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, provides dedicated federal funding to state Departments of Transportation for projects that improve air quality and reduce congestion. The federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program provides dedicated federal funding to state Departments of Transportation for projects that improve air quality and reduce congestion. The CMAQ program improves air quality by funding transportation projects and programs that reduce air emissions from cars, trucks and buses (mobile sources) in air quality non-attainment and maintenance areas, which are the only areas eligible for CMAQ funding.

CWSRF funds water quality and wastewater treatment projects as well as storm water projects, including "green" projects. Principal forgiveness for qualifying small/disadvantaged/rural communities. The CWSRF program is a federal-state partnership that provides low-cost financing to communities for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects, including municipal wastewater facilities, nonpoint source pollution control, decentralized wastewater treatment systems, stormwater runoff mitigation, green infrastructure, estuary protection, and water reuse. CWSRF provides low-interest, infrastructure loans to cities, counties, utility districts, and stormwater authorities.

Funding from the HUD to promote economic and community development in small cities (e.g. sewer, water, drainage, building community centers). A central tenet of the CDBG program, as with all HUD-funded programs, is to affirmatively further fair housing in the communities we serve. Along with requiring subrecipients to conduct local fair housing activities as a condition of each CDBG activity, an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice is conducted every five years to assess and review impediments or barriers that affect the right of fair housing choice. Public and private policies, practices, and procedures affecting housing choice are covered in this analysis. Impediments to fair housing choice are defined as any actions, omissions, or decisions that restrict, or have the effect of restricting, the availability of housing choices, based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, or creed.

Coordinated School Health (CSH) is an evidence based model developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed to promote healthy school environments so children arrive at school ready to learn. Tennessee Coordinated School Health connects physical, emotional and social health with education through eight inter-related components. This coordinated approach improves students' health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, communities and schools working together. Coordinated School Health works with many partners to address school health priorities.

As a result of Governor Lee’s commitment of $12 million to the state’s Charter School Facilities Fund, the Charter School Facilities Grant offers Tennessee charter schools access to funding to improve or build educational facilities. Grant monies are issued in two installments, including a non competitive manner based on total enrollment and a competitive grant based on evidence of high student achievement.

As a result of Governor Lee’s commitment of $12 million to the state’s Charter School Facilities Fund, the Charter School Facilities Grant offers Tennessee charter schools access to funding to improve or build educational facilities. Grant monies are issued in two installments, including a non competitive manner based on total enrollment and a competitive grant based on evidence of high student achievement.

The Services * Training * Officers * Prosecutors* (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program supports communities in their efforts to develop and strengthen effective responses to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault (including adult survivors of child sexual abuse), or stalking. This also includes victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking who are also victims of trafficking and female genital mutilation or cutting, or forced marriage. The program encourages community partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable. STOP is authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) through the Office on Violence Against Women under the U.S. Department of Justice.

The THDA Challenge Grant Program provides initial seed funding to support the private fundraising efforts of nonprofit organizations across Tennessee to implement housing and related activities that represent unique milestones, are part of a broad community initiative, or are part of a significant expansion of work outside the normal day-to-day activities of the organization. Selected proposals must generate cash leverage of at least 300% within nine months of THDA’s commitment of Challenge Grant resources to the housing initiative.

The Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners was created in 1921 to regulate architecture, engineering, landscape architecture and interior design in the State of Tennessee. The current requirements for the licensure or registration of architects and architectural firms, engineers, engineer interns and engineering firms, landscape architects and landscape architectural firms, and interior designers can be found in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 2.

As part of the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017, the State of Tennessee established the Broadband Ready Communities Program to foster county engagement in securing broadband infrastructure and access to their communities. Through TNECD, the program, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, utilizes a portion of the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan to provide $10 million in assistance. A non-competitive grant opportunity is available for county and local governments to secure up to $100,000 dollars for broadband adoption activities. Application window is from October 2 - November 15, 2023.

Block Grant: Programs that provide services include those efforts that (1) respond to the emotional, psychological, or physical needs of crime victims, (2) help victims of crime to stabilize their lives after a victimization, (3) help victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and (4) restore a measure of security and safety for the victim.The purpose of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) is to provide high quality services that directly improve the health and well-being of victims of crime with priority given to victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and services for previously underserved victims. The Office for Crime Victims (OVC) makes annual VOCA crime victim assistance grants from the Fund to states. The primary purpose of these grants is to support the provision of services to victims of crime throughout the nation. For the purpose of these Programs Guidelines, services are defined as those efforts that:

Block Grant: Subawards to provide additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice projects. The Edward JAG Formula Grant Program is a partnership among federal, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations to create safer communities and improve criminal justice systems. The JAG program, created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-690), emphasizes controlling violent and drug-related crime and serious offenders, and fosters multi-jurisdictional and multi-state efforts to support national drug-control policies. This grant program provides funding for projects which assist local and state government and non-profit agencies in their efforts to reduce violent crime and illegal drug activities, improve the criminal justice system and support local, state and national priorities.

Prioritizes the use of funds for two purposes: 1) to improve the reporting of dispositions and 2) to improve the reporting of persons prohibited from possessing firearms for reasons related to mental health to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) The National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) awards grants to States to help improve the Nation’s safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information and by insuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems. The National Criminal History Improvement Program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Designed to offset the capital expenses in the deployment of broadband in unserved areas. The goal of this program is to facilitate broadband access to all Tennesseans while promoting practices that increase deployment and encourage adoption. The goal of this program is to facilitate broadband access to all Tennesseans while promoting practices that increase deployment and encourage adoption. Funds will be targeted to areas that are unlikely to receive broadband service without grant funding.

Online Resources for Starting Businesses. Economic inclusion describes the efforts made to bring DBEs into the economic mainstream. For the purposes of BERO, DBE refers to businesses owned by women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities; as well as those in areas of chronic high unemployment and low income. BERO was legislatively established within the Department of Economic and Community Development in 1977 by Title 4, Chapter 26 as the office of business enterprise. Serves as a voice for and advocate of economic inclusion; Analyzes, disseminates, and promotes best practices and access to capital to service providers; and Reports on the status of DBEs statewide (disadvantaged businesses).

The purpose of the RSAT for State Prisoners Program is to break the cycle of drug addiction and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. RSAT’s objectives are to enhance the capabilities of states and units of local and tribal governments to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; prepare individuals for reintegration into communities and assist individuals and communities through the reentry process by delivering community based treatment and other broad based aftercare services.