Opportunity Overview
The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) administers the 2026-2027 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Economic Development opportunity as a Nebraska-administered federal pass-through program. The opportunity supports economic-development projects in which an eligible unit of general local government provides resources to assist a qualifying for-profit business that expands Nebraska’s economic base and creates quality jobs primarily benefiting low- and moderate-income workers.
Application Period
Open cycle: July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. DED states that Economic Development applications are reviewed quarterly. A qualifying business must complete a Pre-Application and receive an invitation from DED before the full application proceeds.
Funding and Match
For Economic Development projects, the 2026 guidelines set minimum CDBG project costs of $105,000 and maximum CDBG project costs of $500,000. General Administration is a flat $10,000 and Construction Management may be up to $5,000. The required local match is 100% of CDBG project costs, a 1:1 match. The public-benefit standard is capped at $35,000 per full-time-equivalent job.
Eligibility and National Objective
DED’s current CDBG page states that every Nebraska county or incorporated municipality that is not a CDBG Entitlement Community may apply through DED. Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue and Grand Island administer their own CDBG programs and are excluded from this state-administered application pathway. Under the Economic Development opportunity, the local government applies in support of a qualifying business project. Economic Development activities must meet the low- and moderate-income jobs national objective.
Eligible Uses
Priority activity is direct financial assistance to a qualifying for-profit business. Allowable uses may include acquiring property, clearing structures, building, expanding or rehabilitating a building, purchasing equipment, or providing operating capital. Other eligible activities include qualifying real-property acquisition for a public purpose, commercial rehabilitation, public infrastructure serving a job-creating business, and qualifying commercial or industrial construction or rehabilitation through an eligible structure.
Businesses deriving revenue from gaming operations, ordinary production agriculture without a qualifying value-added component, trucking businesses without a qualifying storage/warehousing/distribution component, and retail operations such as restaurants, lodging, gas stations, commercial rest areas and gift shops are not eligible for Economic Development funding.
Application Requirements
The 2026 guidelines require business and financial analysis documentation including a business plan/business strategy, resumes of key personnel, three years of historical and two years of pro forma financial statements, guarantor financial statements, vendor quotes or engineering estimates for equipment purchases, a borrowing resolution, System for Award Management documentation, and an Environmental Review Record. Required local-government exhibits include public-hearing documentation, an authorizing resolution, assurances and certifications, citizen-participation and anti-displacement materials, applicable low- and moderate-income documentation, procurement materials where applicable, a project map, SAM documentation, Limited English Proficiency analysis, and budget/local cost-share documentation.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 87/100. N9+ Fit Score: 35/100 conditional. QC Healthcare fit: 30/100 conditional. The opportunity can legitimately support equipment and business-expansion costs, but it is not a healthcare-specific grant and does not by itself establish a clinical technology need. A defensible N9+ or QC Healthcare role would require a qualifying Nebraska business expansion, eligible local-government applicant structure, verified low- and moderate-income job creation, 1:1 match capacity, and clear procurement and allowable-cost support. Ordinary initial Atlas outreach should not introduce or sell N9+.
Controlling sources: Nebraska DED Community Development Block Grant program page and 2026 CDBG Application Guidelines.