RFA # 37298697 has been canceled.
Dear potential applicants,
The Colorado Long Bill, which outlines how much funding each state department and program will receive, was introduced on March 31. Unfortunately, due to a significant state budget deficit, many programs are expected to see reductions in funding, including the Retail Cannabis Education and Prevention (RCEP) Program. The scale of this reduction for the RCEP program was largely unforeseen. While the long bill has not yet made its way through both houses and been signed by the Governor, we do not anticipate that these reductions in funding will change.
With a significantly reduced budget, the RCEP program regrettably does not anticipate being able to fund the efforts outlined in RFA# 37298697 Reducing Disparities in Cannabis Use Amongst Youth in Rural Colorado. At this time, we will be cancelling the current RFA.
We made the decision to cancel the RFA before the budget-setting process is final in order to be transparent about the expected budget change. We apologize to those who have already spent time and effort planning for this RFA. We know this news is disappointing and understand that any planning efforts took time away from your critical work.
Although we cannot continue with this RFA, we are still committed to reducing disparities and supporting our rural LGBTQ+ youth. We will be pursuing conversations with other programs funding substance misuse prevention efforts to share the needs and experiences we heard from LGBTQ+ youth-serving organizations in preparation for this funding opportunity. Additionally, we will look for future opportunities to embed this priority in other ongoing state efforts. We plan to re-release this funding opportunity if funding becomes available in the future. We sincerely value your time and efforts to support youth in Colorado. Please reach out if you have any questions.