Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank Releases Municipal Resilience Program Rolling Application

Cities and towns can now apply on a rolling basis to complete workshops and become eligible to apply for funding to advance climate resilience projects.

PROVIDENCE, R.I – Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank has released a rolling application for its Municipal Resilience Program. Municipalities with approved applications will participate in a workshop process to identify and prioritize local actions through the program and become eligible for grant funding to implement projects that increase climate resilience.

“Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is committed to accelerating investments in municipal resilience projects that better prepare our cities and towns for the impacts of a changing climate” said Jeffrey R. Diehl, CEO of Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. “The Municipal Resilience Program supports cities and towns in identifying and funding priority resilience projects, with a particular focus on projects delivering co-benefits, such as nature-based solutions and benefitting disadvantaged communities. We look forward to building on the success of the first four years of the program and working with more municipal partners statewide to proactively address the effects of climate change.” 

With support from The Nature Conservancy, 32 municipalities have completed or are in process of completing Community Resilience Building workshops to developed prioritized lists of actionable resilience plans and projects. These municipalities are eligible to submit applications for MRP Action Grants with a 25% local match requirement. The next Request for Proposals for these MRP Action Grants, which includes funds approved through the 2022 State Green Bond, will be released in early 2023.

The new, rolling Municipal Resilience Program Participation Application can be found here. Municipalities can apply individually or in partnership with a neighboring municipality. Review of incoming MRP Participation Applications will take place quarterly, and applicants can expect responses approximately eight weeks after application submission.

“Cities and towns across the state are already feeling the impacts of climate change – from increased damage from storms to rising sea levels,” said Sue AnderBois, The Nature Conservancy’s Climate and Energy Program Manager. “The Nature Conservancy is proud to partner on the Municipal Resilience Program with Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to help our municipalities identify and fund priority resilience projects.”

All Rhode Island cities and towns are eligible to apply for the Municipal Resilience Program. More information on the program can be found here.

About Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank

Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is Rhode Island’s central hub for financing infrastructure improvements for municipalities, businesses, and homeowners. We leverage capital in a revolving fund to offer innovative financing for an array of infrastructure-based projects including water and wastewater, road and bridge, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and brownfield remediation. These quality of life projects improve the State’s infrastructure, create jobs, promote economic development and enhance the environment. For more information, please visit http://www.riib.org.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions such as Community Resilience Building to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.