January 19, 2023
The mission of Golden LEAF is to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, economically distressed, and tobacco-dependent communities. Golden LEAF seeks to increase job creation and economic investment in communities by focusing on projects that create and retain jobs, attract new business to North Carolina, expand industries, and train new workers.
These projects create, expand, or improve business activity in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed or rural communities. Golden LEAF partners with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, local governments, the North Carolina Community College System, and other institutions of higher education to provide gap funding to assist with job creation.
Golden LEAF measures the success of job creation and economic investments projects through tracking the project’s progress in investment in publicly owned infrastructure; investment of privately owned property, plant, and equipment; new full-time jobs created; average annual wage of new full-time jobs; and business start-ups.
Golden LEAF’s programs that support the priority of job creation and economic development include the Open Grants Program, SITE Program, Economic Catalyst Program, and the Community-Based Grants Initiative.
The Open Grants Program has a rolling deadline, a two-stage application process, and funds projects up to $500,000. Most projects under this program will receive up to $200,000. Funding may be used for the following: construction or renovation of public buildings, equipment, supplies, extension of public infrastructure, clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites, program personnel, professional development training, credentialing, work-based learning, and program marketing.
The SITE Program has two deadlines per year (Spring and Fall), a one-stage application process, and funds projects based on which phase it falls under: Identification ($15,000 to consulting firm), Due Diligence (up to $50,000), and Development (up to $1.5 million). The Spring 2023 SITE Program deadline is March 16th at noon. Funding may be used for Extension of public infrastructure, clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites, and professional fees for identification and due diligence expenses.
The Economic Catalyst Program has a rolling deadline, a one-stage application process, and has no formal funding cap. These projects are directly tied to larger job creation projects. Funding may be used for construction or renovation of public buildings, equipment, extension of public infrastructure, and clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites.
The Community-Based Grants Initiative is available in one Prosperity Zone per year. In 2023, the Community-Based Grants Initiative will be in the Piedmont-Triad Prosperity Zone. The funding cap for a project through this initiative is $1.5 million. Funding may be used for construction or renovation of public buildings, equipment, supplies, extension of public infrastructure, clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites, program personnel, professional development training, credentialing, work-based learning, and program marketing.
To learn more about all of Golden LEAF’s programs visit, https://goldenleaffoun.wpengine.com/programs/.