KNOX COUNTY, Ill. — Knox County officials announced that applications are open for the first wave of a series of community grants made possible through $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan funds.
In a press release published on Tuesday, April 19, the Knox County Board revealed the program, using the federal funds to supply grants to areas especially affected by COVID-19.
The first round of the Community Grant Program will run until May 23, with future rounds possible if funds are continually available in the future.
Grants will be awarded to proposals that address projects and areas of the community especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as identified in the ARPA legislation, such as public health, economic decline, community services, and infrastructure.
The application form includes more information about eligible projects among each of those four categories.
Proposals will be reviewed by the Knox County ARPA Task Force, and they may request additional information or interviews with applicants before evaluation.
Evaluation will be based on how directly the proposal addresses an issue created or worsened by the pandemic, feasibility, future impact, ability to strengthen the County against future pandemics, potential partnerships, completeness, and sustainability.
The Knox County Board will make all final decisions after the Task Force reviews applications and recommends their choices.
Recipients must comply with federal record-keeping regulations and other requirements.
Applications can be found on the Knox County website here. Any questions can be directed to the Task Force by emailing ARPAapplications@knoxcountyil.gov.
