STEP funds available

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is pleased to announce the second application round for the Small Towns Environmental Program (STEP).  STEP provides funds to eligible applicants for water and sewer infrastructure improvements utilizing self-help methods.
The community must provide local volunteer labor and available material resources such as equipment in order to demonstrate a 40 percent cost saving off the retail construction price of the water or sewer project. The STEP award recipient must also demonstrate strong local participation in the implementation of the contract, and the overall construction and implementation must be performed predominately by community volunteer workers. Applications for STEP are by invitation only from the TxCDBG program.

To be considered for STEP funding, applicants must submit a Letter of Interest, conduct a Community Meeting and submit a STEP Community Assessment prior to being invited to apply for funding.
• Letters of Interest are due by June 30, 2013.  Please contact TDA for a sample letter.
• Once the letters of interest are received and the project is determined to be an eligible project, the applicant must then conduct a Community Meeting.  The applicant’s Community Meeting must be conducted by August 15, 2013.  The applicant must coordinate the meeting with TDA staff, who will also attend the community meeting.
• After the Community Meeting, the applicant must submit a STEP Community Assessment that describes among other things, the proposed project and the work that the volunteers will be performing.  The Community Assessment is due by August 30, 2013.  TDA staff will provide applicants with the Community Assessment form after the Community Meeting is held.
• TDA will evaluate the applicant’s self-help process based on the Community Meeting and the Community Assessment and invite applicants who have demonstrated  a commitment to self-help as the means to address their water or sewer project to apply for funding.
• For those invited to apply, applications are due October 18, 2013. 
• Awards are expected to be announced in December.

For more information, please contact Tom Entsminger at Tom.Entsminger@TexasAgriculture.gov or visit TDA’s website for the STEP application guide:

http://www.texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/RuralCommunityDevelopmentBlockGrantCDBG/CDBGResources/Applications/STEPApplicationandGuide.aspx