SITE Program information, applications live on Golden LEAF website

SITE Program information, applications live on Golden LEAF website

The new Golden LEAF SITE Program is now live with all information and applications available on the website at www.goldenleaf.org/SITE. The program will help communities identify potential industrial sites for economic development, complete the due diligence necessary to prepare sites for industrial development, and extend public utilities to or conduct rough grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed.

Golden LEAF has budgeted $10 million for the program this fiscal year which will be awarded in two rounds: Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. Applications for the Fall 2021 round are due October 14 at noon for consideration by the Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors at their December 2021 meeting. Golden LEAF will reserve at least $5 million for funding the SITE Program in Spring 2022. The application deadline for the Spring 2022 round will be announced later this year.

To kick off the new SITE Program, Golden LEAF staff will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 9 a.m. Click here to register.

“During our strategic planning process we completed earlier this year, the Golden LEAF Board identified gaps in available funding to support site development necessary to attract businesses, especially to rural and economically distressed areas,” said Golden LEAF Board Chair Bo Biggs. “In response to these findings, the SITE Program was designed to support the identification, preparation, and development of sites to attract quality jobs to these communities.”

Golden LEAF created the SITE Program with a three-phased approach:

  • SITE Program – Identification support to identify potential industrial sites in communities that do not currently have quality industrial sites to market.
  • SITE Program – Due diligence funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses, and mapping.
  • SITE Program – Development funding for public infrastructure and, for publicly owned sites, clearing and rough grading, to benefit sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for development.

“Golden LEAF intends for the SITE Program to complement other site readiness and site development programs existing in North Carolina and has coordinated its requirements with those other programs,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. “Applicants will be able to begin the process at any of the three phases, and a site may progress from identification through to development over time.”

The timeline for the first round of funding is intended to support immediate needs. Golden LEAF will launch a second round in early 2022 with the intent that this will be a long-term Golden LEAF program.

Golden LEAF will continue to update the information available regarding requirements of the SITE Program and may modify the requirements before the next round in early 2022 or other future rounds. All updates and details will be posted on our website under the SITE Program. For more information, visit www.goldenleaf.org/SITE.

Stay Connected

Stay connected with Golden LEAF by signing up for our e-newsletter. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.