(DENVER) — The Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC), now housed in the recently established Colorado Disability Opportunity Office (CDOO) within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), is thrilled to announce $2 million in available state funding through its New and Innovative Ideas Grants. Organizations across Colorado can apply for up to $100,000 each for their “new and innovative” projects that involve novel or original concepts, as defined by C.R.S. 8-88-204, to improve the quality of life and increase independence for individuals with disabilities. Proposed concepts can be completely new or include changes to existing concepts, programs, projects, products, or fields. Organizations in rural and underserved regions of Colorado are encouraged to apply.
“We’re proud that Colorado is ranked as the best state in the nation for people with disabilities. Community partners doing innovative work were key to this achievement,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “We are looking forward to seeing the innovative concepts organizations across the state are executing to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve independence and thrive.”
The $2 million in funding available is a 300% increase from the $500,000 CDFC released last year and comes on top of a recently released $2 million funding round for disability application assistance earlier this year. Funding for these grants is generated from the $25 fee on Colorado’s historic black, red, blue, and green mountain license plate backgrounds, as well as the rights to unique personalized license plate configurations reserved by the CDFC. In 2021, The CDFC reintroduced three previously retired Colorado license plate backgrounds and allocated the sales revenue to fund this grant. The three reintroduced license plates feature the word COLORADO in white lettering on solid blue, red, and black backgrounds based on the 1914, 1915, and 1945 Colorado license plates.
“Innovation and creativity are important tools for equality of opportunity,” said CDOO Director, Danny Combs. “We are eager to support the wonderful organizations across our state with additional funding to push their impact to the next level.”
Applications will open on February 7, 2025 and will close on March 21, 2025 at 4:59 p.m. CDOO is hosting virtual office hours on the following dates. Interested organizations are encouraged to attend and ask questions:
- Tuesday, February 11 from 2 - 3 p.m. | Tuesday Office Hours Zoom Link
- Thursday, February 13 from 10 - 11 a.m. | Thursday Office Hours Zoom Link
- Wednesday, February 19 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Wednesday Office Hours Zoom Link
- Friday, February 21 from 1 - 2 p.m. | Friday Office Hours Zoom Link
About The Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC)
The Colorado Disability Funding Committee is made up of 13 Governor-appointed members, with the requirement that at least seven members must identify as living with a disability or have first-hand experience working with someone who does. Members oversee the distribution of grant funds which are used to invest in new and innovative initiatives working to increase the quality of life and independence of Coloradans with disabilities, and to assist Coloradans with disabilities apply for programs such as Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicaid.
About The Colorado Disability Opportunity Office (CDOO)
Established by HB24-1360 in 2024, the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office (CDOO) is the point of contact for state agencies, private sector organizations, and the public to advance the integration and inclusion of the disability community. CDOO sits at the intersection of policy development and implementation, and HB 24-1360 ensures that CDOO leadership continues to advise the Governor and his team on disability policy, ensure cross-agency collaboration, and provide funding through the CDFC to disability organizations and businesses.
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