FARMINGTON — A new webpage has been launched to help make it easier to apply for the Franklin County tax-increment financing grants and scholarships in the unorganized territory.

Franklin County commissioners and members of the Tax-Increment Financing Application Review Team launched the website www.greaterfranklin.com/resources/franklincountytif to coincide with solicitation for the 2013 funding applications for unorganized territory project grants or employment skills training scholarships for UT students, according to a news  release.

The webpage contains the newly developed online application forms and information, designed to make the application process faster, easier and more user-friendly. Comprehensive TIF application instructions are also available on the webpage to help guide new and returning applicants through the revised system.

Applications are due Friday, Aug. 23, with letters of intent for project grants due in advance by July 15. Alison Hagerstrom, executive director of the Greater Franklin Development Corp. in Farmington, oversees the committee and grant application process. The TIF committee makes recommendations to the Franklin County commissioners on what projects or applicants the committee believes should be awarded based on a scoring system.

This will be the third round of applications submitted since Franklin County commissioners entered into a credit enhancement agreement in 2008 with TransCanada Maine Wind Development, a wholly-owned affiliate of TransCanada Corp. The agreement is related to the development of the 44-turbine Kibby Wind Power Project on Kibby Mountain and Kibby Range.

The agreement allows for 75 percent of the new taxes to be retained by the county over 20 years, with county commissioners reimbursing the company 60 percent of those new taxes annually for 20 years. The remainder of the TIF funds would be dedicated to the county for economic development in the unorganized territory.

Franklin County is expected to retain $4 million to enhance economic development.

In round one of applications, commissioners approved $85,774 in grants and scholarships, and approved $69,665 in the second round.

Trail improvements and development, scenic byway improvements and signage and training scholarships for Maine nursing and truck driving programs are among the applications that previously have been approved.