IMPORTANT: Read each question carefully before responding.

• Commerce is not responsible for any misunderstandings, incomplete responses, or failure of the applicant to ensure the application is successfully submitted.
• Email earlylearningfacilities@commerce.wa.gov for process related questions only.
• To ensure an equitable application process, Commerce is unable to assist with the completion or submission of any application.

Project Name is required.

• Usually the project name is the name of the facility where the award will be used plus a few words to indicate what the funds will be used for, for example, Tykes and Tots - Acquistion and Facility Expansion. If there is no facility name at time of application, please use a short name for your project that will help us identify who and what the funding is for. 

Amount Requested is required.

• When entering an amount, this is where applicants indicate the grant amout being requested. Please refer to the NOFO for the maximum available award amount for each funding category.  Do not submit more in the Amount Requested field than is available for the funding category for which you are applying.
• For family home childcare, the amount requested may not exceed 50% of the current home property value.

Total Capital Project Costs is required.

• When entering an amount, this field is where appli­cants indicate the total cost for real property acquisition and construction of the early learning facility. This total should include all other capital costs in order to bring the early learning facility to completion. 

Applicant Information is required.

• When entering Applicant Information, please provide the Project Manager contact information as the main contact for this application.
• When entering Organization Information, this is information for the applicant.  If another entity is completing this application on behalf of the applicant, use the applicant's information.
• Providing the Executive Director or Chief Operating Officer contact information is required.  This individual will be included on all communications for this application.
• If more than the Project Manager and ED/CEO should be included on communications about this application, enter those contact email addresses on the Application Summary page under Additional Contacts.

This is a competitive application process. Only the highest scoring projects will be awarded.

Please answer all questions to the best of your ability. Please provide the information being requested for that specific question. 

Assume the person reading and scoring the application does not know anything about your project, services or facility type. 

Some questions are Yes/No and require additional information  in order to substantiate the response. If additional information is not provided, and is required to answer to a question, possible points for that question will not be awarded. 

Required and Optional Attachments

• If a document is indicated as "Required" and it is highlighted, this is information that is required in order for your application to be submitted. 
• Don't upload a document telling us you don't have the requested information. The requested information is a required part of a complete application.  
• If any portion of the application is incomplete, possible points for that area may not be awarded.  
• If a document is indicated as "optional," you do not need to submit that information.  If you do submit the "optional" information, please be sure to submit each optional subject with a file name specific to the information being requested.
• Construction and equipment bids or estimates totaling the amount of the project are required.
• Estimates by an authority in the area of expertise outside of the applicant organization can be substituted for a contractor bid.
• Ensure that all bids include costs associated with the requirement to pay state prevailing wage.
• Include the name of the contractor/busines, cost estimate, name of person providing the estimate, the date the estimate was developed, and an approximate timeline to complete.

For more information, please review the Program Guideline and Notice of Funding Opportunity on the website.