FY 2026 Bank Enterprise Award Program Application
Monetary awards for FDIC-insured banks and thrifts that increase investments in CDFIs and expand qualified lending, investment, and service activities in economically distressed communities.
⚑ Eligible applicants are limited to FDIC-insured depository institutions (banks and thrifts); public universities are not eligible. · Program rewards increased community development lending/investment/service activity rather than research. · Awards are capped at $600,000.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
Description
Through the Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program), the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) supports FDIC-insured financial institutions around the country that are dedicated to financing and supporting community and economic development activities. The BEA Program complements the community development activities of insured depository institutions (i.e., banks and thrifts) by providing monetary awards for increasing investments in CDFIs and for increasing qualified lending, investment, and service activities within economically distressed communities. Providing BEA Program awards for increasing community development activities leverages the CDFI Fund’s dollars and puts more capital to work in distressed communities throughout the nation.
Eligibility
Applicants must be FDIC-Insured Depository Institutions (banks and thrifts).
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Henny Winarsoo Grantor <bea@cdfi.treas.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.