The revised CDFI Certification Application is now available for submission in the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund’s Awards Management Information System (AMIS). However, as previously indicated earlier this month, the CDFI Fund is implementing a phased approach as outlined below for organizations seeking to become newly Certified or renew their CDFI Certification.
Only non-certified organizations are currently able to submit a revised CDFI Certification Application. Non-certified organizations interested in submitting an Application for CDFI Certification may now do so in AMIS.
- Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) & Native CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) Applicants. Non-certified organizations are allowed to apply for a fiscal year (FY) 2024 Financial Assistance (FA) award. In order to be considered for an FA Award, non-certified organizations are required to submit a CDFI Certification Application by 11:59 pm ET on March 5, 2024. The CDFI Fund will review all timely submitted Certification Applications and provide a decision prior to announcing the FY 2024 CDFI Program and NACA Program awards. If an organization’s Certification Application is not approved, they will be ineligible to receive a FY 2024 FA award. Please refer to the FY 2024 CDFI Program NOFA and NACA Program NOFA for specific and detailed information.
Currently Certified CDFIs may begin reapplying for Certification later in 2024, as described below:
- All currently Certified CDFIs are required to reapply for Certification using the revised version of the Certification Application by December 20, 2024. Until this date, currently Certified CDFIs will retain their status as Certified CDFIs and remain eligible to apply for all CDFI Fund programs where CDFI Certification is an eligibility requirement—provided they abide by Annual Certification and Data Collection (ACR) reporting requirements and have no material event affecting their CDFI Certification status. After submission of an Application to recertify, CDFIs will still retain their Certified status while their recertification Application is being reviewed.
- General Reapplication Submission Deadline. All currently Certified CDFIs are required to reapply for CDFI Certification utilizing the revised Application, either during the early reapplication period or the general reapplication period. Recertification applications submitted during the general reapplication period must be submitted between August 1, 2024 – December 20, 2024, by email to ocpecert@cdfi.treas.gov. Organizations that do not submit an Application by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on December 20, 2024 will lose their CDFI Certification. The CDFI Fund will begin reviewing these submissions on a rolling basis after December 20, 2024. All general Certification Application reviews will be completed by December 20, 2025.
- Early Reapplication Submission. In order to manage the flow of recertification Applications and expedite recertification determinations, the CDFI Fund will offer 700 slots for currently Certified CDFIs that would like to voluntarily submit a revised Application to recertify before the December 20, 2024, general submission deadline. Certified CDFIs that submit their recertification Applications during this period will receive an earlier determination on their recertification Application.
To apply early, currently Certified CDFIs must notify the CDFI Fund of their intent to submit an early recertification Application no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on February 1, 2024. Early recertification Applications must be submitted between May 31, 2024, and July 31, 2024. The CDFI Fund will provide determinations via AMIS on all early Certification reapplication submissions by October 31, 2024. - Currently Certified CDFIs that reapply by the early reapplication submission deadline that are unsuccessful in retaining their CDFI Certification based on their early Application submissions will not be automatically terminated. They will retain their CDFI Certification status through the end of the submission grace period of December 20, 2024, and will be permitted to submit a new Application to remain Certified through the general recertification process specified above.
Questions regarding the CDFI Certification Application should be directed to the Office of Certification Policy and Evaluation (OCPE) via an AMIS Service Request (preferred), by email to ocpecert@cdfi.treas.gov, or by phone to (202) 653-0423.
Related Materials
- Revised CDFI Certification Application
- Revised CDFI Fund Annual Certification and Data Collection Report Form & Instructions
- CDFI Certification Application – AMIS Application Guide
- Abbreviated Transaction Level Report (TLR) Data Point Collection Guide
- CDFI/NACA/RRP Transaction Level Report (TLR) Data Point Collection Guide
- Pre-Approved Target Market Assessment Methodologies
- Low-Income Calculator
- Overview Presentation: Community Development Financial Institution Certification Application and Related Tools
- Frequently Asked Questions: CDFI Certification Application and Related Tools
- Overview of Key Updates to the CDFI Certification Application
- Abbreviated Transaction Level Report AMIS Data Point Guidance (Coming Soon)
- CDFI/NACA/RRP Transaction Level Report AMIS Data Point Guidance (Coming Soon)
- CDFI Certification Application – Supplemental Guidance & Tips (Coming Soon)