Submit An Application

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for project funding support:

1. Project must be located within or adjacent to the DDA boundary. Please check the location of your project using the DDA Potential Investment Area Map.
2. Be in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, and compliant with all city, state and federal licensing and taxing authorities.
3. Demonstrate that they have -- or are capable of obtaining -- the right to use the property where the project is being proposed.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on their alignment with the Plan of Development through a range of criteria, including:

• Project readiness
• Feasibility
• Financials
• Activation impact
• Alignment with city policy objectives

The city, DDA Board of Directors, and City Council will perform three separate evaluations:

1. City staff will review applications and provide recommendations to the DDA Board of Directors.
2. The DDA Board of Directors will review the city's recommendations and approve or disapprove project selections.
3. Denver City Council will review any contract that is $500,000 or more. Contracts under $500,000 in value do not go to Denver City Council for approval. Denver City Council also reviews all petitions for inclusion into the DDA boundaries.

Please refer to the Cooperation Agreement between the city and the DDA Board for details.

Review Process

Applications for DDA funding support may be submitted at any time. There is no deadline for applications. Applicants are encouraged to wait to submit until they have a complete application. This is more important than a fast application.

Complete project applications will be screened for eligibility and reviewed by city staff. Most reviews are expected to be complete within 30-90 days, with an additional 30-90 days for the approval process. As projects are reviewed and are ready to advance, they may be grouped to move forward to the DDA Board of Directors at the same time.

During the city's review period, applicants may be asked to provide additional information and documentation. Applicants will also be contacted to discuss funding details and documentation needed to petition into the DDA boundaries, if the property is not already located within the DDA.

Applicants that successfully advance through the DDA Board of Directors' review will receive a conditional notice of award, pending execution of contract and successful petition into the DDA boundaries.

Please note: 2025 is a pilot year for the DDA. Refinements to both the application process and project selection methodology may be made as the program matures and additional insight is gained on the market demand for DDA funding support. Application review times and funding decisions may be extended depending on the volume of applications received. Applicants can view the status of their application through the application portal and will be notified via email when the status of their application changes.

The Tax Increment Investment Policy describes the purpose and general use of tax increment financing (TIF) to fund projects, parameters for project evaluation and selection processes, and the criteria by which projects will be considered for investment. It was approved by the DDA Board of Directors on January 30, 2025, and by the Denver City Council on April 24, 2025.

The amount of funding made available will depend on the quantity and quality of applications and their alignment with the Plan of Development and this investment policy. No specific funding amounts have been planned or budgeted. 

Funding Types

The DDA is able to consider several funding types for projects, including but not limited to the following:

• Loan: For certain types of projects that may not derive direct property or sales tax increment or requires upfront funding, a loan using TIF may be a preferred funding option.
• Tax increment performance payments: Annual payments made to the owner or developer over a certain period of time, based upon the actual tax increment generated from the applicant's project.
• Lump sum: Lump sum payments may be provided, which may require certain thresholds be satisfied (e.g., the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, execution of lease agreement, or other agreed upon milestones).

Funding Levels

These are estimates intended to ensure a wide variety of project types and activation efforts are supported. Without limitation, project funding levels may be determined using factors described below:

• Percentage of total cost of improvements: A percentage of the total cost of improvements no greater than 20%, or as determined by the city and DDA Board.
• Generation of property tax or sales tax increment: A percentage of actual tax increment generated by the project over the life of the DDA (for example: up to 25% of TIF generation for residential projects or up to 50% of TIF generation for commercial projects).
• Surplus property and sales tax increment: If a project is not anticipated to increase total value of improvements nor demonstrate direct tax increment generation and will not use city debt revenues, the project funding level may be determined by the amount of remaining property tax or sales tax increment generated from other projects, if any.

The DDA may consider higher funding levels for projects that provide extraordinary benefits or a high degree of alignment with the mission and goals of the DDA and the city. The DDA reserves the right to fund at higher or lower levels in accordance with future projections of taxable property values within the then-current boundaries of the DDA. Market conditions may affect the amount of property tax and sales tax increment generated, which may result in varying funding levels.

Download the Complete Tax Increment Investment Policy(PDF, 349KB)