NEA Grants for Arts Projects 2, FY 2026

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) offers the Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) program to support exceptional arts projects that engage the public, integrate the arts with health and community strategies, and build the capacity of the arts sector. NEA, a federal agency, encourages participation from first-time and returning applicants across various community settings—rural, urban, suburban, and tribal—regardless of organizational size or budget. NEA gives special consideration to projects aligning with its funding priorities. GAP funds arts projects across numerous disciplines, including but not limited to Artist Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Film & Media Arts, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater, and Visual Arts. The program offers two application cycles annually, enabling broader access and planning flexibility for applicants. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, units of state or local government, and federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. These entities must have a minimum of five years of arts programming completed by the application deadline. Only one application per calendar year is generally permitted. Funding is not available to individuals, fiscal sponsor applicants, or commercial enterprises. Applicants may request between $10,000 and $100,000 in funding. Designated local arts agencies eligible to subgrant may apply for amounts ranging from $30,000 to $150,000. A 1:1 cost share or matching requirement is mandatory and may include both cash and in-kind contributions. Detailed guidelines, including application instructions, allowable and unallowable costs, evaluation criteria, and FAQs, are available in the program’s downloadable documents. The GAP program follows a two-part application process. For the July 2025 cycle (GAP 2), Part 1 must be submitted via Grants.gov by July 17, 2025, and Part 2 via the NEA Applicant Portal by July 29, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by early to mid-April 2026, and the earliest project start date is June 1, 2026. A separate March cycle (GAP 1) follows similar procedures but on a different schedule, with a closing date of April 7, 2025, and notifications by December 2025. For additional support, the NEA provides webinars and online resources. Accessibility accommodations can be requested by contacting the Office of Civil Rights at civilrights@arts.gov at least two weeks before the application deadline. For general inquiries, the NEA can be reached at 202-682-5400.

Applicants are advised to begin registrations early (Login.gov, SAM.gov, Grants.gov), as this process may take weeks. Webinars and instructional PDFs are available. Applicants should not wait for courtesy email notifications to begin Part 2.