Grant Opportunity: NEA Grants for Arts Projects

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is revising the FY 2026 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines. The new guidelines will be available on the NEA website by Monday, February 10, 2025.

As part of these changes, the February 13, 2025, Grants for Arts Projects deadline has been canceled. Organizations that have already submitted an application for the February 13th deadline will need to submit a new application under one of the new deadlines.

The new FY 2026 deadlines are now March 11, 2025, for GAP 1 and July 10, 2025, for GAP 2.

Under the updated guidelines, the NEA continues to encourage projects that celebrate the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity by honoring the semiquincentennial of the United States of America (America250). Funding priority will be given for projects that take place in 2026-2027 that celebrate and honor the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This can include incorporating an America250-related component or focus within a larger project.

Additional changes to the Grants for Arts Projects guidelines include a requirement for applicants to have completed a five-year history of arts programming prior to the application deadline. If arts programming was suspended due to the pandemic, applicants may include examples that occurred in 2018 or 2019 to meet the five-year requirement. Do not include examples prior to 2018. Virtual programming is acceptable. Organizations may no longer submit applications in the same fiscal year for both Grants for Arts Projects and Our Town funding categories (a separate application in the Research Awards category is allowable).

The updated guidelines are in response to recent directives. They also streamline and simplify the application process and align with the agency’s mission.

A webinar covering the updated guidelines will take on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Central time. (All webinars are free to attend; however, registration is required. Webinar recordings will be posted shortly after the presentations in the Applicant Resources section of the Grants for Arts Projects webpage.) In addition, frequently asked questions will be available in the Applicant Resources section.

Register here:
https://arts.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_fZua19eHQOCP-maFjSe2Fg#/registration

NOTE: The Challenge America opportunity is canceled for FY 2026. Organizations that have applied or were planning to apply to the FY 2026 Challenge America grant opportunity are encouraged to apply to the Grants for Arts Projects category at the March or July deadlines instead.