Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program

Link

View program website

Sponsor

Northern Border Regional Commission

Deadlines

Letter of Intent (Required): Aug 18, 2026
Application: Oct 16, 2026

Contact

For eligibility and agency questions:
Adrianne Harrison
603.369.3001
aharrison@nbrc.gov

State Program Managers:

Maine:
Sarah Demers
207.624.7448
BizAwards.DECD@maine.gov

New Hampshire:
Aarron Dupuis
603.419.9709
Aarron.R.Dupuis@livefree.nh.gov

Vermont:
Kristie Farnham
802.398.5268
kristie.farnham@vermont.gov

New York:
Kyle Wilber
518.473.3694
kyle.wilber@dos.ny.gov

Purpose

The Catalyst Program supports a broad range of initiatives to stimulate growth and foster partnerships to improve rural economic vitality in the Northern Border Regional Commission service area. Funds may be used for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects in the following focus areas:

Basic Healthcare
Business and Workforce Development
Resource Conservation, Tourism, Recreation
Transportation Infrastructure
Basic Public Infrastructure
Telecommunications Infrastructure

Priority will be given to projects that:

Directly benefit underserved communities including distressed communities. Distressed communities are defined as communities with high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration and communities that from a combination of socioeconomic and environmental burdens, including high unemployment and poverty, basic resources.
Directly benefit rural communities with fewer than 5,000 people.
Demonstrate direct impacts on the local, state, or region's economy and communities including job creation, retention, or leveraged private funds.
Contribute to community resilience by preventing, reducing, withstanding, and/or improving recovery from extreme weather or strengthening physical, behavioral and social health of community to withstand and adapt to current and projected public health emergencies.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

State governments
Local governments and secondary and career technical centers
Other political subdivisions of states
Federally recognized Tribes
Nonprofits

Projects must be located within the NBRC service area in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

Geographic coverage

Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont

Amount of funding

Award ceiling:

$500,000 for implementation projects
$100,000 for feasibility projects
$1,000,000 for infrastructure projects or $3,000,000 for multi-jurisdiction projects

Project period: 3 years

Application process

Links to additional guidance are available on the program website.

Complete the pre-application through the online application system by August 18, 2026. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, with a deadline of October 16, 2026.

Tagged as

Access · Broadband · Capital funding · Child care · Community and economic development · Health disparities · Health workforce education and training · Healthcare facilities · Healthcare needs and services · Infrastructure · Networking and collaboration · Public health · Recruitment and retention of health professionals · Technology for health and human services · Telehealth · Transportation · Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention · Maine · New Hampshire · New York · Vermont

For complete information about funding programs, including your application status, please contact funders directly. Summaries are provided for your convenience only. RHIhub does not take part in application processes or monitor application status.