Grants

County officials and employees may find the following resources helpful when searching for grant funding and low-interest loans. Any specific questions concerning these resources should be directed to the specific agency. 

NACo Funding Opportunities for Counties Matrix

SCDOT 2026 TAP Letters of Intent Accepted April 10 to May 8

SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will host an SC Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) Workshop Thursday, Apr. 9 at 10 a.m. at SCDOT headquarters in Columbia (955 Park Street). The workshop will also be available via live-stream for those who cannot attend in person. Information on how to view the live-stream will be available on SCDOT's TAP website closer to the workshop date.

SCDOT will accept Letters of Intent for the 2026 Spring TAP Round April 10 - May 8. The new Letters of Intent form will be available on SCDOT's website starting April 10

FEMA Announces $1 Billion in Federal Funding to Help State Mitigate Impact of Disasters - Application Deadline July 23

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today application and eligibility requirements for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) 2024 -2025 mitigation grant program. This is a new round of the formerly on-hold BRIC grant program.

Mitigation projects are designed to reduce future risk and harm from natural hazard events, from mitigation planning and project scoping to large-scale projects to improve resilience of public infrastructure. See more information, including eligible project categories, in the BRIC 2024 & 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity. BRIC grants require a non-federal cost share of at least 25%.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) will offer applicant briefings to provide information on BRIC eligibility and the application process. The application period opens March 25, 2026; applications must be submitted by SCEMD in the FEMAGO platform by July 23, 2026. SCEMD’s timeline for BRIC applicant briefings, application submissions, and final state review will be disseminated as soon as possible.

Available funds:

  • For South Carolina, $2 million in state set-aside funding (projects will be ranked based on grant eligibility requirements and state-identified criteria)
  • Another $1 million for eligible building code adoption and enforcement projects
  • $757 million in nationally competitive funding (good for large/regional projects); project maximum of $20 million federal share (projects will be selected based on federal criteria and a national review panel)

Applications require detailed information about the proposed project, including budget, timeline, scope of work, and other specifics, so interested counties, local governments, and state agencies are encouraged to begin working on applications as soon as possible. Submitting a pre-application in SCRecoveryGrants.org is an option but is not required given the short application period for this grant opportunity. SCEMD mitigation staff are available to answer questions and provide assistance in submitting a BRIC project application.

Those interested in participating in a BRIC applicant briefing should email mitigation@emd.sc.gov to receive login information. If your jurisdiction or agency wishes to schedule an in-person briefing, contact the SCEMD mitigation team.

DHS Launches Over $100 Million in Funding to Strengthen Communities’ Cyber Defenses

SC250 Grant Programs

SC American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission (SC250) Grants support American Revolution in SC (1770-1783) education and cultural tourism projects. Available grant amounts are dependent on funding from the South Carolina State Legislature each year.

Learn more about the Grant Programs

ConserFund Loan

ConserFund is a revolving loan program administered by the South Carolina Energy Office for energy-efficiency improvements in state agencies, public colleges or universities, school districts, local governments, and 501 (c)(3) organizations. The loan program is focused on supporting the implementation of energy-efficient improvements that provide long-term cost reductions and energy savings. Loans range from $25,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year with a maximum 10-year term.  More information is available on the SC Energy Office's page.

SCDOT Publishes List of On-Call Consultants for Local Government Project Management Services

All local governments are asked to contact Roxanne Ancheta, SCDOT’s Director of Grants, at least a month in advance if you are planning to apply for a federal or state grant or earmark for a project on the State Highway System. Ms. Ancheta can be reached at (803) 737-1232 or via email.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

FEMA announced a significant investment in climate resiliency by authorizing $3.46 billion for the 59 major disaster declarations issued due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

With the growing climate change crisis facing the nation, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will provide funding for states, tribes and territories to maximize their investment in mitigation measures that result in safer and more resilient communities. This new funding will allow communities across the nation to further develop capacity and take mitigation actions that will foster greater resilience and reduce disaster suffering.

Across the country, Americans have witnessed the enormous and devastating effects of hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes and other events. The increasing duration, intensity and severity of such disasters, which are exacerbated by changes in population, land use and weather patterns, are alarming and highlight one of the most important emergency management challenges facing the United States. The impacts of natural hazards on communities, families, individuals and our economy make it imperative to invest in creating infrastructure and communities more resilient to natural hazards.

FEMA encourages state, local, tribal and territorial governments with significant vulnerabilities that lack the resources to invest in mitigation to leverage the funds being authorized through Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

For more information, visit FEMA.gov.

The USDA - Rural Development

The Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area. Learn more & apply on the USDA - Rural Development website.

National

U.S. Department of Agriculture

State