We invite you to apply for a PIER grant!

The Planning, Infrastructure, and Economic Revitalization (PIER) program has $13.8 million available in Community Development Block Grant funds to support our community’s recovery from the Almeda and South Obenchain Fires. These funds are intended to support some of the largest unmet needs in Jackson County: business and economic recovery.

This grant program is to help our regional economy recover after the Almeda and South Obenchain Fires. Specifically, the PIER program expects to fund projects that directly support businesses, encourage commercial development, and attract new businesses! 

First Round of Applications Due: No later than 5:00 pm (pst) on September 1st, 2023

Minimum Grant Request: $500,000

Eligible Applicants: Non-profits, schools, governments, districts, councils of government, and public authorities.

For more details, check out the PIER Program Guidelines and PIER Flier. 

You can also email OHCS questions to: , or contact the JCC LTRG, by emailing

The largest unmet needs in Jackson County – outside of housing – are business and economic recovery. As such, the Committee will prioritize projects or programs that directly support businesses, encourage commercial development, and attract new business.

The Committee will also prioritize projects or programs that: 

• Prioritize fire-impacted residents and business owners
• Benefit low- to moderate-income residents
• Benefit and/or are applicable to Talent, Phoenix, and Jackson County
• Are as easy and streamlined as possible
• Leverage CDBG-DR funds as cost-share for other funding sources

Download and fill out the application below that most closely fits your project type. Submit all completed applications to: . 

• Planning Application – for projects or programs that are focused on planning. For example, housing recovery planning, economic analysis, hazard mitigation plans, disaster planning, or education or outreach.
• Infrastructure Application – for projects or programs related to rebuilding or replacing impacted infrastructure and/or building new infrastructure. This could also include requesting funds for a cost-match for other infrastructure or construction grants. 
• Economic Revitalization Application – for projects or programs that help retain or return businesses, microenterprises, or jobs in the area.

You can find more examples of eligible projects by referring to the PIER Program Guidelines.

*Please be aware that $1 from PIER is likely to federalize an entire project, i.e., federal rules such as Environmental Review, prevailing wages, compliance monitoring, and other requirements may apply to all aspects or components of a project.*

All applications will be reviewed by the PIER Selection Committee, a committee with representatives from local governments, the Economic Development District (SOREDI), and the Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG). 

As a part of the review process, you will be invited to attend a committee meeting to answer any questions or share additional details about your application. Application review may take up to ten weeks, depending on when it is submitted.

Initial Review

Applicants will submit their project or program proposals to the Selection Committee for review three weeks before the scheduled quarterly meeting. Committee members will conduct preliminary scoring of proposals based on the established PIER Project Selection: Methodology & Matrix.

Public Hearing & Project Presentations

The Committee will host a public hearing at their quarterly meeting for community members to learn about and provide feedback to the Committee on the proposed projects and programs. Committee members will also ask clarifying questions on specific proposals, to help with proposal assessment. 

Final Selection

The Committee will discuss and vote on each proposed project or proposal at their quarterly meeting. The selection committee will consider the application score, budgets, timelines, community needs, and other relevant factors while deliberating to select and award projects with PIER grants. A minimum of two-thirds vote of the committee members present is required for selection. 

Award

Once selected, the project will be forwarded to Oregon Housing and Community Services for their review and processing.

Future Meetings:

• October 5th, 2023, at 11:00 am, located at the City of Phoenix City Hall Council Chambers: 220 Main St, Phoenix, OR 97535, and virtually via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85620921952
  • 10/5/23 – Agenda

Past Meetings: 

• July 6th, 2023, at 11:00 am, located at the City of Phoenix City Hall Council Chambers: 220 Main St, Phoenix, OR 97535, and virtually via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85620921952
  • 7/6/23 – Agenda
  • 7/6/23 – Minutes
  • 7/6/23 – Recording

• June 1st, 2023, at 11:00 am, located at the City of Phoenix City Hall Council Chambers: 220 Main St, Phoenix, OR 97535, and virtually via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85620921952 /
  • 6/1/23 – Agenda
  • 6/1/23 – Minutes
  • 6/1/23 – Recording

What is the business size that triggers the requirement for a business to have a Sam.gov ID to be able to receive grant funds from the PIER program? How can we support business owners that do not have Social Security numbers? 

• Short answer: Micro-enterprises, defined as businesses with 5 or fewer employees, where one or more owners own the enterprise, can bypass the need for a SAM/DUNS 3 registration.
• However, this exemption is contingent on their participation in a micro-enterprise program specifically designed for such small businesses. If a business seeks assistance from a regular business loan/grant program, regardless of its size, it would be subjected to the SAM/DUNS requirement.