AEDA Exterior Improvement Grant Information

The Arvada Economic Development Association (AEDA) Exterior Improvement Grant is designed to help business and property owners who want to improve the external appearance of their commercial properties. This is a matching grant program that leverages AEDA funds and private sector investment to achieve specific goals which include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Enhance the appearance of the commercial properties in the community
  • Assist existing Arvada businesses with property capital improvements
  • Encourage private sector investment
  • Create goodwill in the community

Owner-occupied commercial real estate or business tenants (with property owner approval) are eligible for up to a $15,000 maximum 50/50 matching grant per property. Primary uses for the grant are for exterior improvements including:

  • Façade upgrades
  • Permanent landscaping
  • Lighting
  • Accessibility
  • Overall site improvements
  • If your project includes new signage, it must not exceed 25% of the total cost of all exterior improvements

The grant does not include interior improvements, furniture or non-fixed improvements, or projects that solely consist of deferred maintenance (painting, repairs, and other scheduled replacements). The intent of the grant is to fund improvements. Some maintenance may be considered for grant funding if paired with other property improvements.

Business Eligibility

  • Must be a commercial or industrial zoned property within the Arvada city limits (home-based businesses are not eligible)
  • Arvada owner-occupied real estate or business tenants (with property owner approval prior to grant award notification)
  • Must have an active Arvada business license and be in good standing with the City
  • All improvements must comply with City of Arvada codes and ordinances

If you have additional questions or comments about the grant, contact Sarah Miley at [email protected] or 720-955-4238.

Application Process

Grant applications are reviewed annually once an application period closes. The next application window will open on Tuesday, January 2, 2025 and close Monday, March 17, 2025. Applicants will be notified if they were awarded grant funds or not the following month. Application periods are determined at the sole discretion of the AEDA Board. Application period due dates will be published on the AEDA website. Applicants will be required to apply by the published date to be considered within the application period. All applications will be reviewed by a designated committee of the AEDA Board of Directors. AEDA has a finite amount of funds. Applicants may not receive full funding for their projects. Funding will be considered and distributed based on the availability of funds, number of applicants, and the ability of applicants to meet the scoring criteria. Applications that score higher will be given first priority for available funds.

Formal feedback will not be provided by the AEDA Board, or any committee of the Board, however; informal questions may be asked of AEDA staff about the relative competitiveness of an application after they approved the applications for that period. AEDA will not permit examination of any competitors’ application during any application process. AEDA will, consistent with applicable law, limit access to any information in an application that is deemed by AEDA to be confidential or proprietary. The AEDA Board retains the sole and exclusive discretion to evaluate the applications and to deny or make an award based on its evaluation of the applications. All decisions of the AEDA Board are final.

Applications will become the property of AEDA. While AEDA will take reasonable steps to protect proprietary or confidential information in an application, AEDA makes no guarantees or assurances that all information made a part of the application will remain confidential. Names of participants and any grant documents may be subject to disclosure pursuant to certain State of Colorado laws.

Applications must be complete to be considered for review.

Application Scoring Criteria

The AEDA committee will use the following scoresheet to evaluate each application:

Total Project Investment - The overall capital investment into the property (excluding real estate costs). Maximum of 30 points.

Real Property Improvements - a permanent addition to, or betterment of, real property that enhances the overall capital value (excluding deferred). Maximum of 20 points.

Public Benefit - The overall impact on investment for the betterment of the community including: place, community, workforce, innovation, and feasibility. Maximum of 50 points.