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North & South Omaha Recovery Grant Program (NSORG)

The North & South Omaha Recovery Grant Program (NSORG) was designed to provide grants to public and private entities to respond to the negative impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency and to build resilient and innovative communities. NSORG was established by LB 531 of the State of Nebraska Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jim Pillen on June 6, 2023.

Eligibility Information

What Can the Grants Be Used for?
Based on the coordination plan and appendices, dated January 10, 2023, DED has identified eight funding categories that respond to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency and to build resilient and innovative communities.

Categories
Each funding category has special threshold requirements and scoring criteria, which are detailed in the Program Manual, Section 3.3.2.

• Small Business Support Grants
• RAPID Grants
• Recovery Housing Grants
• Sports and Tourism Grants
• Arts, Culture, and Social Assistance Grants
• Entrepreneur and Innovation Grants
• Youth, Talent, and Workforce Development Grants
• Placemaking Infrastructure Grants

Additional Information
Grants must relieve the negative impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency within a qualified census tract (QCT) or an economic redevelopment area (ERA) located within the boundaries of a city of the metropolitan class and/or build resilient and innovative communities, with a priority on small business development, job creation, and economic development within such communities.
More information can be found at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/qct.html 

Who is Eligible to Apply?
The North & South Omaha Recovery Grant Program grant application will be open to public and private entities. In addition, to be eligible for a grant under the NSORG, a project must be listed in the coordination plan or appendices by the Economic Recovery Special Committee of the Legislature dated January 10, 2023.

A copy of the plan can be found here: https://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/reports/econrec.php.

Look up proposal name/ ID number here: https://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/reports/econrec.php 

Program Resources

Press Releases & Announcements

Press Releases:

• Gov. Pillen, State Senators, and Local Leaders Celebrate Announcement of $234 Million of Economic Recovery Grants for North and South Omaha

NSORG in the News

North Omaha:

• Nebraska Examiner: Planned grocery store aims to not just feed but uplift historical heart of Omaha’s Black community
• DED: In It Together: Omaha Nonprofit Builds Collaborative Hub to Provide Housing and Healthcare Services
• KMTV: Hundreds gather in Omaha for 19th annual Rebuilding the Village Conference
• Silicon Prairie News: Two companies accepted into the first cohort of the Werner Enterprises startup accelerator
• WOWT: Groundbreaking ceremony celebrates phase 2 of North Omaha trail
• Creighton University: New Creighton law clinic supports Omaha small businesses
• KETV: Omaha Star undergoes transformation into black history museum
• WOWT: CHI Health to transform vacant North Omaha building into $14M kitchen facility
• Salvation Army: North Corps sees Phase 2 of renovation-and-expansion project move forward
• KETV: Omaha Youth 360 expands to more schools, providing support to teens
• KMTV: 'It's a gold mine': new North Omaha Visitor Center opens in Historic Jazz District
• KETV: Hayes & Associates teams up with entrepreneurs to help grow businesses
• WOWT: New $20 million Youth Center coming to Benson
• Silicon Prairie News: The Omaha Data Science Academy receives accreditation in Nebraska
• Omaha Magazine: Home Team Auto Sales: FACES of Omaha 2025
• KETV: Omaha breaks ground on Levi Carter Park sports facility and community center
• Nebraska Examiner: State funds spark larger ‘Project Game On’ with new YMCA, Omaha North sports stadium
• KMTV: 'It's just taking pride in the community': North 24th BID launches Facade Improvement program
• North Omaha celebrates ribbon-cutting for new manufacturing facility

South Omaha:

• Nebraska Examiner: Construction starts on South Omaha plaza project buoyed by $25M state grant
• Grow Omaha: Progress on Three South Omaha Projects Supported by State Grants
• DED: Generation Diamond Celebrates 10 Years of Impact in South Omaha, Expands Tattoo Removal Service for Those Re-Entering Society
• Nebraska Examiner: Omaha’s El Museo Latino celebrates multimillion-dollar growth spurt buoyed by state grants
• KETV: Latino Center of the Midlands breaks ground on new campus
• Nebraska Examiner: Topping out’ celebration for OneWorld’s $17.5M workforce training center in Omaha
• KETV: Girls Inc. breaks ground on new 36,000-square-foot facility in south Omaha
• Nebraska Examiner: $5.8 million state award helps launch ‘Global Market’ in South Omaha
• KETV: South Omaha celebrates funding for community-led redevelopment of Plaza de la Raza
• Heartland Workforce Solutions opens new location in South Omaha