2026 EDI Request for Proposals - Current EDI Projects - Capital + Capacity Building

The City’s purpose for Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) funding is to support projects that address displacement and lack of access to opportunity for historically marginalized communities in Seattle. Successful projects will be those that best demonstrate a connection between their organization and the ability to impact the Equity Drivers identified in the Equitable Development Implementation Plan .

This current funding round has $14.8M available for both capacity building and existing capital projects for existing EDI Funding Recipients. There will be another $7.4M funding round in Q2 2026 that will be open to all organizations including new EDI applicants and existing EDI Funding Recipients seeking funding for capacity building and/or new and expanded projects.

This current funding round will apply the following eligibility criteria and priorities:

• Applicant must be an existing EDI Funding Recipient that has met and continues to meet previous EDI application criteria.
• Applicants must have a project in active predevelopment or development that requires additional funding support.
• Applicants with completed EDI-funded scopes of work and facilities in permanent operations are NOT eligible to apply.

• Applicants seeking funding for new projects or significant project scope expansion are NOT eligible to apply.

• This is a competitive process where OPCD will prioritize projects with funding gaps and those that will complete their projects and enter operations by 2028.

Requirements of EDI Funding

• Funding is prioritized for non-residential uses. Projects with a residential component must include a non-residential community-serving use that provides public benefit, to be described in the EDI agreement as “Services.”
• EDI funding is not a gift of funds.
  • The City’s investment of public funding is returned by the Recipient in the form of public benefits. Public benefits can be described as programs and services to the community consistent with the City of Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative goals.
  • The City requires certain instruments to be securitized and recorded on the property title including covenants and deed restrictions, to ensure that the site is used for long-term public benefits for the duration defined in the EDI capital contract
• Recipient must have, or plan to obtain, site control of the project location. Site control includes outright ownership of the property by the Recipient organization, or an ownership stake in the property as part of partnership with other community-based organizations.

• EDI funding for construction will prompt Washington State Prevailing Wage requirements. Recipient organizations will need to register as an Awarding Agency with L&I, and all prime and subcontractors will be required to file Intents to Pay Prevailing Wage prior to start of construction and must file Affidavits of Wages paid with L&I weekly. Refer to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) Public Works Projects website for more information. Link: L&I Public Works
• The City requires insurance policies to be held by the Recipient and renewed annually as defined during the contracting process. Builder’s Risk insurance is required for construction projects.

• For Acquisitions, funds are disbursed at closing. For all other uses, funds are disbursed on a progress basis and can be reimbursed when costs are incurred.

• There are no EDI fees, however we require that certain expenses related to acquisition including appraisal, escrow and recording fees to be budgeted and paid for by the Recipient with EDI funds.