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Grants

Updates

The Colorado Disability Opportunity Office and the Colorado Disability Funding Committee will be awarding a total of $800,000 in this grant round, with each award being less than $50,000. This grant round for (Rural location preference) Disability Application Assistance Grants is now posted on Bidnet.com here: Grant application on Bidnet.com. In order to apply to help rural area Coloradans complete applications for benefits and assistance, you will need to create a free account for your organization at Bidnet.com: Register at Bidnet.com here.

This round of applications is open, and will remain open for thirty (30) days -- the deadline for completed applications is January 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

A pre-application conference to explain the application more thoroughly and answer your questions will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 1 PM to 2 PM, and it will be recorded. The open meeting Zoom link is here: Pre-Application Conference

For questions after and outside of that conference, please email soc_dfc@state.co.us.

Background

Under the Laura Hershey Disability Support Act, as amended, C.R.S. § 8-88-200 et seq., the Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC) "shall invite nonprofit entities to submit a proposal for a program to aid persons with disabilities in accessing disability benefits" and “shall accept and review proposals to fund projects or programs that study or pilot new and innovative ideas that will lead to an improved quality of life or increased independence for persons with disabilities.”

In pursuit of the CDFC mission, we encourage applicants to understand the following before submitting a grant application. To do so, please review the CDFC Grants Overview. Since 2017, CDFC has awarded $5.395M in grants to Colorado disability organizations.

Disability Benefit Application Assistance Grants

The requirements for disability benefit application assistance grants can be found in C.R.S. 8-88-203. These grants can fund assistance in obtaining Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), as well as Colorado Medicaid benefits and other benefits based on disability.

New & Innovative Grants

The Committee defines "new and innovative ideas," as that term is used in C.R.S. 8-88-204, to mean novel, original or unique concepts for improving quality of life or increased independence for persons with disabilities, whether such concepts are completely new or propose changes to existing concepts, programs, projects, products, or fields.

Application Process

  1. Grants are offered for either Disability Application Assistance (DAAG) or New and Innovative Ideas (N&IIG), and the corresponding link to the grant application site will be announced here, with links. Applicants must apply through Bidnet.com after obtaining a registration on that site (which is free), and then submitting a completed application with an initial grant proposal for review. Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CDLE Procurement and Contracting Services (PCS) team. Upon receipt of complete applications after the grant deadline (approximately 90 days) applications will be forwarded to the CDFC for consideration.
  2. CDFC staff will distribute all proposals to the Allocations sub-committee. Proposals are reviewed and discussed within 111 days of the proposal deadline.
  3. CDFC Allocations sub-committee will review all proposals and select finalists for further evaluation.
  4. CDFC will notify the submitting organization of the Allocations sub-committee's decision within 10 days of the full committee meeting.  PCS representatives will invite the finalists to submit supporting documentation, including detailed project information, budget, and board membership. Applicants will have 10 days to submit the additional grant application information requested.
  5. The CDFC Allocations sub-committee will make a final determination of approval or denial upon review of additional information and advance its recommendation to the full CDFC.
  6. The full CDFC will vote on the recommendations from the Allocations sub-committee.
  7. Applicants will be notified of CDFC decisions by PCS in the form of an award letter including the agreed Statement of Work and detailed budget with narrative. Decisions of the full CDFC committee are final. 

Applications submitted after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please submit any questions to the Colorado Disability Funding Committee Administrator, SOC_DFC@state.co.us.

Necessary Supporting Grant Documents

Things You Need to Know

  • The CDFC is a State organization that distributes State funding, and as such has responsibility to the citizens of Colorado to make sure funds distributed are being used as they were intended. As a condition of receiving these funds, your organization is required to report to the CDFC periodically regarding their use. Using your application and Grant Agreement Summary as a guideline, please submit the reports using the forms above.
  • Should the CDFC have any questions regarding your report they may ask additional questions. You may need to provide additional documentation or appear before the CDFC to provide additional information. All correspondence will be conducted by PCS representatives.
  • Grants are funded by reimbursement for deliverables unless an exception is requested and granted for advance funds. If you would need advance funds please contact SOC_DFC@state.co.us to discuss prior to applying.
  • Organizations that are awarded a grant will be contacted with an award letter and be asked to complete the necessary documentation to process grant funds. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment will process your documents and disburse the funds.

Questions?

Please contact the Colorado Disability Funding Committee Administrator at SOC_DFC@state.co.us.