Burns highlights schools, business grant opportunities
Grants available for equipment, programs, school staff
Rep. Frank Burns July 28, 2020 | 4:24 PM
EBENSBURG, July 28 – Always on the lookout for ways to help his community, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today is urging schools and businesses to take advantage of multiple grant opportunities, and to contact his office if they need help.
“In 2019 alone my office help secure more than $22 million in grants to help fund projects ranging from business expansions and highway improvements to computers for school classrooms,” Burns said. “I fight hard to make sure Cambria County gets its fair share of state and federal funding – and not the big cities.”
The current grant opportunities Burns wanted to highlight include:
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: Small Business Advantage Grant Program
- Who Can Apply: Registered Pennsylvania for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and which are taxed as a for-profit business.
- Use: To purchase energy-efficient or pollution prevention equipment, or adopt waste reduction processes. Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency LED lighting, digital X-ray equipment, solvent recovery systems, water and waste recycling processes, auxiliary power units (APUs), and agricultural BMPs. Projects must save the small business a minimum of $500 and at least 25% annually in energy consumption or pollution-related expenses. Natural resource protection projects must quantify the reduction of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loadings reaching the receiving waterway.
- Funds: 50% matching reimbursement grants up to a maximum of $7,000. A total of $1 million will be distributed.
- Application Deadline: First-come, first-served until funds are expended.
- More Information: Click on https://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/GrantsLoansRebates/SmallBusinessOmbudsmanOffice/Pages/Small%20Business%20Advantage%20Grant.aspx.
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Office for Safe Schools’ Targeted Grants – 2020-21 Equipment Grant
- Who Can Apply: A public school district, charter school, cyber charter school, or career and technical center.
- Use: Metal detectors; protective lighting; surveillance equipment; special emergency communications equipment including radios; electronic locksets, deadbolts, and theft control devices and training in the use of the security-related technology; and student, staff, and visitor swipe-card identification systems.
- Funds: Up to $25,000 per school entity for the 2020-21 school year. Please note: this is a competitive grant program. A total of $2.35 million in state funding is available for Equipment and Program Grants in the 2020-21 School Year.
- Application Deadline: Aug. 19
- More Information: Click on https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/fundinggrants/Pages/default.aspx.
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Office for Safe Schools’ Targeted Grants – 2020-21 Program Grant
- Who Can Apply: A public school district, charter school, cyber charter school, or career and technical center.
- Use: To fund programs which address school violence. See guidelines for list of eligible programs.
- Funds: Up to $20,000 per school entity for the 2020-21 school year. Please note: this is a competitive grant program. A total of $2.35 million in state funding is available for Equipment and Program Grants in the 2020-21 school year.
- Application Deadline: Aug. 19
- More Information: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/fundinggrants/Pages/default.aspx.
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Office for Safe Schools’ Targeted Grants – 2020-21 School Police Officer
- Who Can Apply: A public school district, charter school, cyber charter school, career and technical center, or nonpublic school.
- Use: Costs associated with the training and compensation of School Police Officers.
- Funds: The maximum individual grant for the 2020-21 grant cycle is $40,000 for school police officers. Please note: this is a competitive grant program.
- Application Deadline: Aug. 19
- More Information: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/fundinggrants/Pages/default.aspx.
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Office for Safe Schools’ Targeted Grants – 2020-21 School Resource Officer – School Entity
- Who Can Apply: A public school district, charter school, cyber charter school, or career and technical center.
- Use: Costs associated with the training and compensation of School Resource Officers.
- Funds: The maximum individual grant for the 2020-21 grant cycle is $60,000. Please note: this is a competitive grant program.
- Application Deadline: Aug. 19
- More Information: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/fundinggrants/Pages/default.aspx.
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Office for Safe Schools’ Targeted Grants – 2020-21 School Resource Officer – Municipality/Police Department
- Who Can Apply: Municipalities and police departments.
- Use: Costs associated with the training and compensation of School Resource Officers to be placed in school districts and nonpublic schools within the municipality.
- Funds: The maximum individual grant for the 2020-21 grant cycle is $60,000. Please note: this is a competitive grant program.
- Application Deadline: Aug. 19
- More Information: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/fundinggrants/Pages/default.aspx.