Eligibility
Who is eligible to apply for SIPA GovGrants?
The SIPA GovGrants Program is available to any Colorado government entity that is eligible to purchase products and services through SIPA. That means that any of the following Colorado government entities may be able to apply:
- State Agency (all branches, departments, and offices)
- Local Government
- Special District
- Public K-12
- Public college or university
To apply, an agency/institution must have an active Eligible Government Entity (EGE) agreement with SIPA. SIPA already has over 1,000 active EGE agreements in place.
An organization should only apply for SIPA GovGrants if you have confirmed that your organization can legally accept a grant of funds or in-kind services, if awarded.
What is an EGE Agreement and how do I know if my organization has one?
A SIPA Eligible Government Entity Agreement, or EGE Agreement, is a governing contract between SIPA and another Colorado government entity that allows the other entity to procure products or services from SIPA and to apply to SIPA for grants. The agreement does not obligate any funds or require the entity to procure any products or services through SIPA.
More information about SIPA EGE Agreements and a link to request a new EGE Agreement can be found here: https://sipa.colorado.gov/ege-agreement. For any questions or to inquire about the status of your organization’s SIPA EGE Agreement, please contact sipa@cosipa.gov.
What kinds of projects or programs are eligible for funding through SIPA GovGrants?
The SIPA GovGrants program will fund high-impact government technology projects at all levels of government across Colorado. We want to fund projects and programs that will support SIPA’s mission by advancing the efficient and effective delivery of government services to Colorado residents through the use of modern business practices and innovative technology solutions.
We want to see a clear, well-scoped problem identified with the status quo for digital government service delivery. Then we want to see proposals for technology solutions with a clear theory of change and/or a strong basis in research or evidence from similar implementations. The best proposals will demonstrate creativity in their application of technology to a problem, and will have the possibility of scaling or replicating the technology to grow their impact upon success.
Theory of Change: “A theory of change is an explanation of how your initiative will lead to its intended impact. Written out in words, it reads like a causal statement: ‘If we ____, then ____ will result.’”
Evidentiary Basis: See, for example, the Colorado OSPB Evidence Continuum
Logic Model: A Logic Model combines some of these pieces into a single flow from a problem statement, to your inputs, outputs, and then outcomes. If you can create a coherent logic model, you probably have a strong theory of change for your proposal.
Are there certain things that SIPA GovGrants will NOT fund?
While we recognize that governments across Colorado are already doing many innovative and exciting things in delivering digital government services, the SIPA GovGrants program is not available for funding operating or maintenance costs of existing systems. SIPA GovGrants will also not fund long-term staff augmentation, though short-term staff augmentation related to an otherwise eligible project or program may be considered.
Matching funds or additional funding sources are encouraged, but you should not apply to SIPA GovGrants with the expectation to be able to offset funding that has already been allocated to a particular project or program. SIPA GovGrants funding should also be additional to any other funding sources.
SIPA GovGrants will fund direct costs only. Please do not include indirect costs in your proposal budget, including administration, overhead, salaries and benefits for existing employees, etc.
Application Process
How do I submit a SIPA GovGrants application?
The application for SIPA GovGrants can be accessed using the left side menu on this page or here: https://cosipa.my.site.com/application/s/govgrants-application. If the application period is open, you will be able to select the open Funding Opportunity from the first drop down menu. If no Funding Opportunity is available to select, the application period is closed.
The application form only requests basic identifying information for the applying organization and key individuals associated with the proposal. The substance of the proposal will be collected using document attachments. SIPA recommends that you review the application form and Program Manual, then prepare and collect your project documentation in advance of submitting the application. SIPA's goal is that applicants can provide documentation without needing significant adaptation of whatever format you already have.
What are the key components of a complete application?
An application will be submitted through an application form that asks for basic identifying information about the applicant and the proposal (e.g. short description, amount requested, etc.). More detailed information will be submitted using document attachments.
While SIPA GovGrants applications do not need to be formatted in any specific way or answer or any specific questions, applicants should seek to submit documentation that includes the components described in the SIPA GovGrants Program Manual. SIPA has provided an optional Applicant Worksheet to assist with ensuring that all of the requested information is provided. Applicants are encouraged to at least review the worksheet even if an application will be submitted in another format.
Examples of the types of documentation to be submitted include:
- A project/proposal narrative, including the anticipated success measures;
- Information about the team composition, including both internal personnel and any vendors, suppliers, or consultants;
- Project or program budget, including the amount requested, any additional funding sources, and a budget allocation broken down by expense types and expected timing of expenses. SIPA has provided an optional budget template to use for this purpose.
Inclusion of these elements will ensure that the proposal contains the information necessary to evaluate the scoring criteria as described in the Program Manual.
What is the application deadline?
The SIPA GovGrants application deadline for the 2025 award cycle will be February 21, 2025. After that date, the online application will no longer be available for submission.
Are there specific formatting or file type requirements?
Please submit application documents in the following formats:
- Proposal Narrative: Single PDF document, with all quotes or other attachments merged into one file.
- Proposal Budget: Spreadsheet file (e.g. Microsoft Excel). You may choose to the template provided by SIPA. Do not submit a budget file as a PDF.
- Grant Agreement Redlines (if applicable): Text document (e.g. Microsoft Word) with changes tracked.
If there are any issues with the submission of application documents through the application form, additional documentation may be emailed to GovGrants@cosipa.gov along with sufficient information to associate the documents with the appropriate application.
Can I submit more than one application?
Yes, an applicant may submit more than one application during a SIPA GovGrants award cycle. All applications should be unique, non-overlapping or non-dependent requests. For example, you shouldn’t submit separate applications for different phases of the same project or different scopes within the same program. Each application must be susceptible to receiving an award regardless of the award status of any other application.
Please keep in mind that SIPA serves governments at all levels across Colorado, and SIPA GovGrants is intended to provide funding to a varied portfolio of applicants and projects. SIPA recommends that applicants submit their highest priority projects or programs to ensure that any funding will align with the applicant’s priorities.
Funding
Is there a minimum or maximum funding amount for SIPA GovGrants?
Awards under this program will start at $25,000. Eligible entities may apply to the SIPA Micro-Grant Program for smaller project awards.
While there is no maximum amount for a SIPA GovGrants award, requests for more than $500,000 in a single award will require additional justification. Priority will be given to projects that have a phased implementation approach, allowing for the delivery of value on an iterative basis and avoiding large up-front costs without successful implementation. SIPA reserves the right to decide on the appropriate schedule of awarding funds, and SIPA does not guarantee that the full amount of an award will be immediately available to the recipient.
Does SIPA GovGrants require matching funds?
No, matching funds are not required to apply for or receive an award from SIPA GovGrants. Applicants should include any information about additional funding sources in their application budget.
How long is the term of an awarded grant?
The term of an award under SIPA GovGrants will be tailored to each award recipient, with awards of one or two calendar years being the most common.
Each awarded recipient will be required to enter into a grant agreement with SIPA prior to receiving any funding. The grant agreement will include a grant plan specifying the anticipated period for expenditure of the grant funds. The grant agreement may be amended after execution to allow additional time by mutual agreement of SIPA and the recipient.
Does TABOR apply to grants received from SIPA GovGrants?
Recipients of grants from SIPA represent a wide array of Colorado government entities, and each entity’s obligation with regard to TABOR may be unique. SIPA is unable to provide any guidance regarding how a grant from SIPA may impact a recipient’s obligations under TABOR, and we encourage each government entity receiving a grant from SIPA to consult with your own financial and legal advisors to answer any questions regarding TABOR.
SIPA is a self-funded enterprise and therefore is not subject to TABOR. SIPA does not receive any federal funds, appropriations from the Colorado General Assembly, or tax revenues.
Review and Decision Process
How will SIPA GovGrants applications be evaluated?
The review process and criteria for SIPA GovGrants are detailed in the Program Manual. At a high level, SIPA staff will perform an initial eligibility review. Eligible applicants will be referred to a committee consisting of members of SIPA’s Board of Directors. That committee will score eligible applications and make recommendations to the full SIPA Board of Directors regarding awards. The final decision on SIPA GovGrants awards will be made by the SIPA Board of Directors in a regular meeting.
How long should the review and decision process be expected to take?
Our expectation is that the SIPA GovGrants review process will take approximately 3 months from the application deadline to the final award decisions of the SIPA Board of Directors. We anticipate that award decisions for the 2025 SIPA GovGrants award cycle will be made by the Board at the regular meeting to be held in the first week of May 2025. We anticipate all grant agreements for the 2025 cycle to be executed by the end of July.
When will I be notified whether my application is successful?
Successful applicants will be notified of the decision of the SIPA Board of Directors to approve a SIPA GovGrants award following the meeting at which the decision is made. We currently anticipate those decisions to be final in the first week of May 2025.
Will I receive feedback if my application is declined?
While detailed feedback regarding unsuccessful applications cannot be guaranteed, SIPA staff will attempt to provide at least a primary basis on which an application was declined.
We will strive to communicate with applicants during the review process for clarifications or corrections required to determine eligibility of an application. If an application is declined prior to referral to the evaluation committee, the applicant will be notified of the reason for the decline.
Final award decisions will be made by the SIPA Board of Directors in a regular public meeting. Applicants are welcome to attend the meeting and observe the decision making process in order to understand the reasoning of the award decisions.
Post-Award Requirements
What kind of reporting will be required if I receive a SIPA GovGrants award?
Required reporting for each award will be detailed in the grant agreement, and will vary based on the details of the project or program awarded. As described in the Program Manual, awarded applicants should expect to identify appropriate milestones and success metrics for reporting on grant outcomes. Regular reporting will be due to SIPA no less frequently than quarterly, with the specific reporting schedule to be included in the grant agreement. Reporting will be completed via the SIPA Grants Portal. More information will be provided to awarded applicants after an application is approved.
Are there any restrictions on how I can use the SIPA GovGrants funding?
Funding received from a SIPA GovGrants award should be used consistently with the purposes and allocations identified in the budget submitted with the application. An approved budget will become a part of the executed grant agreement. Recipients will be responsible for providing appropriate documentation of their expenditures as part of both regular reporting and a final overall report on the funds and the grant outcomes.
What happens if I am unable to complete the project as planned?
SIPA GovGrants award recipients should be in regular communication with SIPA during the term of their award. Through both required reporting and other communication, a recipient should inform SIPA of the ongoing status of the project, including any risk or anticipation that the project will not be completed as planned.
Depending on the details of the situation, SIPA will work with the recipient to either modify the grant plan and grant agreement to reflect an altered delivery plan, or SIPA and the recipient will develop a wind-down plan for the project, including the return of any unexpended funds to SIPA.
Tips for Success
What makes a strong SIPA GovGrants application?
The key words for understanding what will make a strong SIPA GovGrants Application are innovation and impact. We want to see proposals that will produce resident-facing outcomes by implementing modern business practices through innovative technology solutions. And we want those outcomes to be significant in comparison with the scale of resources needed to implement the solution.
We encourage you to think outside the typical government technology box, and come to us with ideas that are potentially high-risk and high-reward. The SIPA GovGrants program should offer governments across Colorado the opportunity to pursue technology projects that may fall outside the normal bounds of what you could expect to fund in your existing budget process. We know that it’s hard for governments to take risks with your limited resources, so we want SIPA GovGrants to provide that space for innovation that will drive civic technology impact.
Do you offer any technical assistance for applicants?
We anticipate that there will be a period for the submission of questions from applicants following the opening of the application form. We also anticipate that SIPA will provide a pre-application webinar with an opportunity for questions to be answered by SIPA staff. More details about these opportunities will be added here and on the SIPA GovGrants webpage when they are available.
Can I use AI to write my application?
Generative artificial intelligence is a great tool for supporting governments in being efficient and doing more with less. We at SIPA often use gen AI to assist with writing tasks, and we welcome applications that have used AI as a tool. We even encourage you to let us know if you used AI as an example of how your government is using innovative technology to better serve your constituents.
Please ensure that you have only used AI as a tool, and not expected it to generate an application for you. It’s important to remember that you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy and completeness of your application, and AI is unlikely to generate a high-quality application with the correct details for your individual proposal.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
Any questions regarding the SIPA GovGrants program can be sent to GovGrants@cosipa.gov. Questions will be answered by SIPA GovGrants Program Director Noah Kaplan, or will be directed to other SIPA staff as appropriate.
Last updated: January 8, 2024