City Council Discretionary Funding

Just Updated for FY22! Scroll through this page to read about updates to the discretionary contracting process and access required documents for your discretionary contract.

Each year the New York City Council awards discretionary funds to nonprofit organizations to meet local needs. To learn more about the discretionary award process and applying for funding, please read City Council's Discretionary Policies and Procedures.

Contracting in PASSPort

The contract registration process is managed in PASSPort. PASSPort will send your organization’s Vendor Admin(s) a task notification email when it is time to start the contract document submission process. Pending tasks will also appear on your PASSPort homepage under Open Workflow Tasks. Providers may refer to the following resources for more information on how to contract with their City Agency in PASSPort:

Providers can find additional helpful user guides, information sheets and videos on the Learning to Use PASSPort webpage. Need help or have a question? Submit an inquiry to the MOCS Service Desk!

*DCLA awards are not processed through PASSPort; DCLA will contact their cleared awardees. .

Contract Documents

Discretionary awardees may be required to complete and submit the following documents as part of the contracting process. If the award was cleared in or after Fiscal Year 2021, providers will upload these documents in PASSPort. To expedite contract registration, please use the document names outlined in the Discretionary Contracting Document Naming Guide when uploading your documents.

Certification Regarding Substantiated Cases of Client Abuse or Neglect
Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Compliance Certification
Lobbying Certification Form
Proof of insurance (obtained from Insurance Broker):
o    Insurance Broker’s Certification
o    Disability Insurance
o    General Liability Insurance
o    Workers’ Compensation

Tax Affirmation
EO 64 Certification and Policies (uploaded to PASSPort Vendor Profile)
If utilizing subcontractors or consultants:
o Exhibit B Coversheet – Subcontractor Approval Form
o Exhibit B – Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Compliance Certification

Capacity Building Training Certificate, if applicable (system generated certificate) – submit an inquiry to the MOCS Service Desk for any assistance.

Please see below for additional required documentation for select agencies.

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Pandemic Support for Human Service Providers

Providers with City Council Discretionary awards for “a one-time increase in operating expenses, including personnel, related to COVID-19 and returning to work,” should use this template for budget and scope. It is streamlined to expedite the contracting process. For more information about the funding initiative, please see this September 23 notice to the sector. If your organization has been notified that an application for funding is required, please see this communication.

Administration for Children's Services (ACS)

Providers may prepare their own scope of services and budget. Returning ACS awardees may update their prior scope and budget documents.

Department for the Aging (DFTA)

Discretionary Budget Detail Form

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)

DOHMH Discretionary Scope of Services Form

Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)

Department of Small Business Services (SBS)

Department of Youth and Cultural Development (DYCD)

DYCD Workscope
DYCD Budget Form and additional attachments as required
DYCD Fee Waiver Request Form
Additional information may be found on DYCD’s Discretionary Contracts page.

City Council Discretionary Application

Nonprofit organizations that wish to receive discretionary funding must submit a City Council Discretionary Funding Application. The Application is generally available in January for six weeks only. City Council's website provides information on the application and submission schedule.

Nonprofit cultural organizations that wish to receive initiative funding through the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) must separately apply to the Cultural Development Fund in order to be eligible for discretionary awards through DCLA. Any questions concerning the application and pending City Council designation status should be directed to the City Council Discretionary Unit at discretionary@council.nyc.gov.

City Council Discretionary Award Process

Council reviews all discretionary applications and identifies awardees. Council’s initial award designations are made in Schedule C of the Adopted Budget, issued at the start of each fiscal year. Council may make subsequent changes to awards through regular transparency resolutions.

Discretionary Award Registration Process

After Council makes an award designation, the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services confirms the following procedural requirements to “clear” an award for registration by the contracting City agency. These procedural requirements are also outlined in the Discretionary Award Clearance Information Sheet. Please consult the Discretionary Award Tracker for information on the status of an award.

PASSPort Account: Every discretionary awardee must have an account in PASSPort, the City's digital Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal. Organizations that are exclusively funded by Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) are exempt. Please visit the PASSPort webpage to begin the account creation process.
HHS Accelerator Prequalification:: Every discretionary awardee must have an Approved HHS Prequalification Application . Organizations that are exclusively funded by DCLA are exempt. To determine your organization's prequalification status, or to become prequalified in PASSPort, please visit the Learning to Use PASSPort webpage.
Capacity Building Training: Awardees that receive more than $10,000 in discretionary funding, but less than $1 million in cumulative City funding, must complete City Council’s Capacity Building Training and obtain certification. A Capacity Building Training Certificate is valid for three years and flows with the specific individual that completed the course. Enroll in the online Capacity Building Training at http://mocs.matrixlms.com using code UDKE-BQAO. Please refer to these instructions for step-by-step guidance.

Capital Projects

Each year during the budget process, members of City Council assign discretionary funds to nonprofit organizations' capital projects (such as construction and equipment purchases). To apply for capital discretionary funding, visit CapGrants.