Sales Tax Free Week Update, Energy Efficiency, and more

August 21, 2026

Dear Neighbor,

In this week's eblast, you can read about an update to Sales Tax Free Week, energy efficiency rebates and incentives, and more. You can click the links below to navigate between sections.

Sales Tax Free Week
Energize CT Efficiency Rebates & Incentives
CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Applications Open
Military Service Academy Nomination Requests
Connecticut's Tourism Growth

Sales Tax Free Week

A new school year is just around the corner! As summer comes to a close, families are getting ready to settle into new routines, gather school supplies, and embrace an exciting year filled with learning, growth, and new opportunities.

Don’t forget that this year’s Connecticut Sales Tax Free Week runs through Saturday, August 22, so there’s still time to save on back-to-school shopping for your children.

During the tax-free week, certain items of clothing and footwear costing less than $300 per item are exempt from sales tax. The exemption applies to purchases made from retailers located in Connecticut as well as qualifying purchases from online retailers.

Sales tax also does not apply to eligible non-electronic school supplies, making it more affordable for families to stock up on essential back-to-school items.

Click here for a list of items that ARE EXEMPT from sales tax and a list of items that are STILL TAXABLE.

Energize CT Efficiency Rebates & Incentives

Energize Connecticut is an initiative that empowers smart energy choices, now and in the future.

Energize Connecticut provides state consumers, businesses, and communities with the resources and information they need to make it easy to save energy and build a clean energy future for all.

If you're looking to replace your older oil or gas furnace and switch to a heat pump system, there are rebates and incentives available by clicking here.

CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Applications Open

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has opened the CT Grown for CT Kids (CTG4CTK) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2027. This statewide grant program supports the development and expansion of farm-to-school initiatives across Connecticut by connecting children with local food while strengthening local agriculture and nutrition education.

Microgrant applications are due by September 9, and full grant applications are due by November 9. A total of $950,000 is available to support farm-to-school efforts, full grant awards will be funded up to $50,000, while microgrants will receive up to $5,000 each.

Eligible applicants include local and regional boards of education, regional education service centers, private schools and institutions, colleges and universities including student‑led groups, cooperative arrangements under section 10‑158a, childcare centers, group childcare homes, family childcare homes under section 19a‑77, and organizations or entities, including Connecticut farmers, that administer or support farm‑to‑school programs.

This is the sixth round of funding for CTG4CTK, which was originally established as a two-year pilot program in 2021. In June 2025, the legislature allocated up to $1 million annually in the FY26 and FY27 budgets.

Click here to register for an informational webinar that will be held on Tuesday, August 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Click here for more information and to access the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant webpage.

Military Service Academy Nomination Requests

Nomination requests for applicants seeking an appointment to a military service academy are processed through the Congressional offices of the applicants’ home state. If you would like to apply for a nomination from Senator Blumenthal, the online application window is now available and will remain open until 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 30.

Click here to apply through Sen. Blumenthal's office.

Nomination interviews will take place on November 7 and 8. Due to the number of candidates that will interview, scheduling requests will not be accommodated. Please plan accordingly to be available on those dates.

Should you have any questions, please email the Service Academy Coordinator at Service_Academy@blumenthal.senate.gov

If you would like to apply for a nomination from Congressman Jim Himes, the online application window is now available and will remain open until 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 16.

Click here to apply through Congressman Himes' office.

Connecticut's Tourism Growth

More travelers are experiencing what makes Connecticut such a great place! The annual Tourism and Economics report for 2025 shows that tourism growth in Connecticut more than doubled the national rate.

The state welcomed 72.2 million visitors in 2025. Additionally, visits to Connecticut increased 3.1% over the previous year, compared with national growth of 1.5%.

Key findings include:

Connecticut tourism in 2025 generated $20.1 billion in total economic impact
The industry supported 125,000 jobs and generated $1.6 billion in state and local tax revenue
Through June 2026, statewide hotel occupancy increased 4.3% compared to a slight decline across New England

Click here to read the full report!