The Forest Economy Program (FEP) is managed by the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and aims to support the forest-based economy across four U.S. states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. The primary focus of the program is to facilitate the evolution of the forest industry by promoting the use of new technologies, encouraging sustainable business models, and addressing workforce development. The program encourages projects that enhance the forest-based economy, including community development, infrastructure, and workforce training initiatives, particularly those linked to forest products, wood manufacturing, and sustainable forest resource management.

The FEP prioritizes proposals that demonstrate tangible economic benefits for rural communities in the northern border region, which includes the 60 counties in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Successful projects should reflect the program’s investment priorities, such as supporting technologies that generate new markets for forest harvest residuals, training workers for forest industries, and helping to sustain existing forest businesses. FEP also seeks to revitalize rural communities through the diversified use of northern forests, not just for wood products but also for advanced materials manufacturing and other sustainable activities.

The program is open to a variety of eligible applicants including state governments, local governments, non-profit entities, Indian tribes, and certain educational institutions, but it does not fund for-profit entities, LLCs, or businesses that are not 501(c)(3) organizations. The eligibility of a project depends on its alignment with the program’s goals and its location in one of the 60 designated counties in the NBRC service area. Projects located in areas that meet the Commission’s distress criteria will be given priority for funding. The program does, however, provide exceptions for projects in Attainment Counties if they are located in “Isolated Areas of Distress” or are part of multi-county projects that involve Distressed or Transitional Counties.

Applicants are required to submit a pre-application before applying for funding, and the timeline for pre-application submission is March 7, 2025, with the application deadline following on April 18, 2025. Only those projects invited through the pre-application process will be allowed to submit full applications. The projects will then be evaluated using a set of established rating criteria. Only projects that achieve a minimum score of 80 points will be considered for funding.

Projects must be submitted through the NBRC Grants Management System, and detailed guidelines for submitting pre-applications and full applications can be found in the program’s user manual. Additionally, the Forest Economy Program encourages applicants to engage with the NBRC Forest Economy Program Manager or state-specific managers for guidance during the application process. Contact details for these individuals are provided on the NBRC website, and interested applicants are urged to attend pre-application support sessions to better understand the focus areas of the program.

Important dates for the 2025 cycle include the pre-application deadline of March 7, 2025, and the final application submission deadline of April 18, 2025. The program also provides access to an information session to assist with the pre-application process and application preparation. Final award decisions will be made after thorough evaluations by NBRC staff, state program managers, and an advisory board. Projects that are not aligned with the program’s focus or that do not meet the required point threshold will not be funded.