Grant Assistance

Transportation and Infrastructure

Thriving Communities: This program aims to support communities with three years of planning, technical assistance, and capacity building to create transformative infrastructure projects. Selected communities are grouped into four "Communities of Practice." Read more about LCRPC's work on this grant program here.

Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund: The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) provides one-time funding to municipal, tribal, and infrastructure districts to adapt their critical infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Eligible projects include scoping, designing, and/or constructing specific public infrastructure, including storm water systems, water systems upgrades, and other interventions that support public infrastructure repair and reduce or eliminate climate impacts.

The Village Partner Initiative: Ranging from spot improvements to once-in-a-lifetime investments, MaineDOT aims to allow access to federal discretionary funding to work with municipalities to reinvest and revitalize Village Centers or Downtowns. Development must balance the use and safety of all village patrons, pedestrians, bikers, and cars. Funding requires a match that is based on the municipality property valuation.

The Business Partnership Initiative: If a municipality and a local business or businesses feel that state highway or state aid highway infrastructure are impediments to them being able to reach their economic potential, this program will allow them to improve a portion of state or state aid highway to enhance the business climate, create new opportunities, or to allow for expansion. Within Lincoln County, The Business Partnership Initiative was used to create the round-a-bout in Boothbay, streamline traffic along Route 27.

Municipal Stream Crossing Upgrade Grant Program: The Municipal Stream Crossing Program provides one-time funding to upgrade aging culverts to be resilient and prepared for rising storm surges. The maximum amount of funds is $200,000, including planning and construction dollars, with a minimum of $5,000 local match (cash or in-kind).

Congressional Directed Spending (Earmarks): Provided by Congress, congressional-directed spending (also known as "earmarks") focuses on funding various large-scale infrastructure projects. Examples of past recipients can be found on each representative's website, linked below:

Economic and Community Development

FUNDING PROGRAMS

Northern Border Regional Commission: A federal-state partnership serving economically distressed rural communities in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. NBRC funds infrastructure, workforce development, and economic development projects, with a focus on communities that have historically lacked access to federal resources.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): A flexible federal grant program administered through HUD (and in Maine through the Department of Economic and Community Development) that funds a wide range of community development activities, including housing rehabilitation, public infrastructure, and economic development, primarily benefiting low and moderate income residents.

Maine Community Foundation - Community Building Grants: Grants from the Maine Community Foundation supporting nonprofits and community organizations working to strengthen local civic life, address root causes of inequality, and build long-term community capacity, particularly in rural and underserved areas across Maine.

USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Grants: Federal grants available to rural communities (populations under 20,000) to develop or improve essential public facilities such as healthcare clinics, fire stations, community centers, and municipal buildings. Grants are typically paired with low interest loans and prioritize the lowest income communities.

TAX PROGRAMS & LAND BANK

Dirigo Business Incentives: Maine's suite of state level business incentives designed to attract and retain investment and jobs. Programs include income tax credits, sales tax exemptions, and other tools for businesses that create employment or invest in qualifying activities in Maine.

Historic Tax Credits: A combination of federal (20%) and Maine state (25%) tax credits available to developers rehabilitating certified historic structures. Credits are applied against income tax liability and are frequently used to finance adaptive reuse and downtown revitalization projects.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF): A municipal financing tool that captures the new property tax revenue generated by a development project within a designated district and redirects those funds to pay for infrastructure, site improvements, or other costs associated with the project, without raising taxes on existing properties.

Maine Redevelopment Land Bank: A state authority that can acquire, hold, and transfer blighted or underutilized properties to facilitate redevelopment. The Land Bank helps municipalities and developers overcome barriers like title issues, contamination, or fragmented ownership that prevent otherwise viable sites from being redeveloped.

Working Waterfront and Coastal Communities

Coastal Planning Grants: Funding from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP), in collaboration with the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Maine Coastal Program (MCP) provides funding via two grants:

Coastal Community Grant: This grant offers financial support for planning community resilience, modernizing infrastructure, and addressing water quality, flooding, and storm surge effects in Maine's coastal areas.

Frenchboro’s “Update and Revision of 1991 Land Use Ordinance and Maps Incorporating Climate Resilience” project is twofold: updating Frenchboro’s parcel data, building a digital mapping system, and conducting a comprehensive update of land use ordinances while integrating coastal resilience.

Shore and Harbor Planning Grants: Financial support for planning along waterfront and harbors.

Monhegan Island’s “Resilient Redevelopment of Monhegan Island’s Public Wharf” project prepares engineering designs for raising and increasing accessibility at the island’s only public wharf, which was damaged during the January 2024 storms and is facing increasing damage from sea level rise. A conceptual design for raising the wharf was completed in 2023 with funds from the FY22 Shore and Harbor Planning Grant; this award will continue the engineering and survey work needed to prepare the wharf design for permitting and eventual construction.

More information and past grant recipients can be found here.

Sustainability and Resilience

Community Resilience Partnership: Is a program from the Governor's Office of Policy and Innovation and the Future (GOPIF). The partnership provides grant funding and direct support to municipal and tribal governments for climate mitigation and adaptation projects to help reduce emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. To receive access to funding and support, communities must first enroll in the Partnership. Once enrolled, municipalities can apply for up to $50,000 if they apply as one town or $125,000 if they apply as two or more towns. More information, along with examples of other Lincoln County municipalities that have been awarded funding, can be found here.

Efficiency Maine: Efficiency Maine offers various funding options for municipalities and private homeowners to assist with heat pumps, electric vehicles, water heaters, and HVAC systems.

Housing and Landuse

Maine Housing: