Impact Grants

Supporting Circularity

The Colorado Circular Communities (C3) program provides three tiers of funding based on the project’s budget, scope of work, and anticipated effect on building a circular economy in Colorado. Impact grants are the middle tier available, with awards between $50,000 and $500,000. Applications are always open, however there are three application cycles in 2026 to provide a structured review timeline: January-March; April-June; and July-September. If you submit an application during one of these windows, your application will be reviewed at the end of the window. Each application will be reviewed and scored on its own. After the application window closes, there will be approximately one month for review, scoring, and deliberation. Selected projects will be presented to the board roughly two months after the window closes.

It is critical for all applications to align with the C3 Strategic Plan. Applicants must be able to explain precisely how a project meets the Strategic Plan’s goals and strategies, including expanding access and increasing capacity within the State of Colorado’s circular economy.

Essentials

Basics

  • Awards from $50,000 to $500,000

  • Contract term shorter than 18 months

  • Three application windows: January-March; April-June; and July-September (For the exact review schedule, please refer to the Impact Grant guidelines.)

  • Eligible and ineligible expenses are detailed in the Impact Grant guidelines.

We recommend that you review eligibility requirements and grant guidelines before proceeding through the application process.

Application Requirements

  • Project Details

  • Work plan including timeline

  • Project budget

  • Vendor quotes

  • Permits, if relevant

  • Resume(s) for key project staff and/or mission statement for key project partners

  • Previous fiscal year financial statements 

  • Subcontractor commitments (if applicable)

  • Letter of commitment from leadership (required for education and government)

Additional materials may be submitted, including but not limited to 

  • Annual report

  • Letters of support on supporting company’s letterhead. If partners or government support are part of your project, it is highly recommended that a Letter of Support be submitted for each.

Application Process

Watch the Impact Grant Pre-Application Video - You will be required to confirm that you have watched the video in order to apply.

Review the Impact Grant Guidelines - Read through the entire document to learn about the details of the grant opportunity prior to applying.

Submit Your Application - Application cycle timelines for 2026 are detailed within the grant guidelines. Submit your application online when you are ready to apply. Applicants are limited to one C3 grant award per calendar year.

Note: For application submission support, including application portal navigation (such as logging in, registering), assistance with file uploads, system errors, or submission failures, please contact c3.grantmanagement@state.co.us. Support for grant writing, compliance, completeness, etc. is not available.