OPEN. Intent and eligibility component due November 30, 2026; full narrative and budget opens December 7; final GAINS-authorized submission due January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m.
Colorado — 2026–2027 Charter School Facility Assistance Program, Cycle 3 (Intent November 30; Full January 15)
FundingNo fixed individual school award published. $7,524,205 total Colorado FY2026-27 fund pool, allocated among eligible charter schools by CDE per-pupil formula. This total is not an individual applicant award.
DeadlineMandatory Intent to Apply and Eligibility due November 30, 2026; completed GAINS application with authorizer approval due January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m. (time zone not expressly stated).
Last verified2026-11-03
Required next actionReview full 18-page CDE RFA at https://ed.cde.state.co.us/fs/resource-manager/view/28897de0-db2c-4161-8db7-57b9ba90db21 and program page https://ed.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/csfap . Request charter GAINS access, confirm current 2026-27 Colorado charter status and Charter School Capital Construction eligibility. Submit Intent to Apply and Eligibility in GAINS by November 30, 2026. Beginning December 7 complete narrative, budget, required assurances and uploads, secure authorizer approval, and reach LEA Authorized Representative Approved by January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m.
Broad Eligibility
Colorado public charter schools authorized by a Colorado district or Charter School Institute, serving students in 2026-27, meeting ESEA charter-school definition including lawful enrollment lottery and qualifying for Colorado state Charter School Capital Construction aid. Online charter schools excluded. District/CSI is fiscal agent; funds reimburse qualified facilities spending only.
Atlas Analysis
2026-11-03: Reviewed current 2026-27 CDE applicant page and full 18-page Cycle 3 RFA. Confirmed Nov 30 required intent/eligibility and Jan 15 2027 4pm final GAINS deadlines; $7,524,205 statewide pool not per-school award, CDE allocation per-pupil. Colorado state furnishes federal matching share, not school cash match stated. Reimbursement, Sep 30 2027 expenditure deadline; BABAA and Davis Bacon constraints for construction; no construction indirect reimbursement. Not a vendor procurement; this is real downstream school subgrant. Final authenticated GAINS entry inaccessible in read-only context, retain Pending Review. No protected publication approval attempted due prior explicit denial.
Colorado Department of Education — 2026–2027 Charter School Facility Assistance Program (SFIG Cycle 3)
Required Intent to Apply and Eligibility: November 30, 2026. Complete authorized application: January 15, 2027 by 4:00 p.m. The official instructions do not explicitly state a time zone. The application opened October 12, 2026 through the CDE GAINS portal. The program is noncompetitive among eligible complete applicants, with applicant allocations calculated by CDE using current charter-school enrollment counts.
Funding
A total of $7,524,205 is available for Colorado eligible schools in FY2026–2027; this is a statewide pool, not an individual school award. Each school allocation follows a per-pupil formula and no universal individual maximum is published. Funds must be spent by September 30, 2027 and are paid as reimbursement after acceptable proof of expenditure. Colorado provides the required matching state contribution through its facilities funding program; no separate applicant cash match is stated in the official RFA.
Eligibility and allowable costs
Applicants must be Colorado public charter schools serving students in 2026–2027, currently authorized by a school district or the Colorado Charter School Institute, meet the federal charter-school definition including admission lottery requirements, and qualify for state Charter School Capital Construction aid. Online charter schools are not eligible. School districts or the Colorado Charter School Institute act as fiscal agents. Allowable costs include eligible rent, facility purchase or construction, renovation, leasehold improvements, building-related design and oversight, and eligible facility debt service. Purchasing undeveloped land without immediate plans to build is prohibited. Construction requires compliance with applicable domestic-sourcing and prevailing wage rules, and indirect costs are not reimbursable for construction activities.
Application steps
Request GAINS access, complete the eligibility and intent section by November 30, then complete the narrative and budget sections beginning December 7, 2026. The final application must reach LEA Authorized Representative Approved status in GAINS by January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m. The controlling 18-page RFA includes all application sections, certification and upload instructions.
Official program: https://ed.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/csfap
Controlling RFA: https://ed.cde.state.co.us/fs/resource-manager/view/28897de0-db2c-4161-8db7-57b9ba90db21
Source verificationReferenced source · ed.cde.state.co.usAtlas last verified this record 2026-11-03. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
