The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provides funding through the Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) program, which supports a variety of arts initiatives for public engagement, education, community health, and capacity-building in the arts sector. This grant is open to first-time and returning applicants from diverse community settings, including rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities. The program funds projects across multiple disciplines, including but not limited to dance, design, film and media arts, literary arts, museums, music, opera, theater, and visual arts.

The primary objective of the GAP program is to enhance public participation in the arts and promote arts education. It also aims to integrate the arts with strategies that support health and well-being while improving the overall infrastructure and operational capacity of the arts sector. Grants are awarded to organizations that can demonstrate a strong commitment to artistic excellence and community impact. The NEA encourages applications from a wide range of arts-focused organizations with various operating budgets.

Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria include nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, units of state or local government, and federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. Applicants must have completed at least five years of arts programming before applying. Individuals, for-profit businesses, and applications submitted by fiscal sponsors are not eligible. Applicants may generally submit only one application per calendar year.

Funding amounts range from $10,000 to $100,000 for standard arts projects. Designated local arts agencies that are eligible for subgranting may request between $30,000 and $150,000 for subgranting programs. All awards require a 1:1 cost share or match, which may come from a combination of cash and in-kind sources.

The grant operates in two cycles each year: the March cycle (GAP 1) and the July cycle (GAP 2). The application process involves multiple steps, including registration with federal grant systems, submission of a preliminary application through Grants.gov, and completion of the full application via the NEA’s Applicant Portal. Applications for the March cycle must be submitted by March 11, 2025, with final notifications by December 2025 and projects starting no earlier than January 1, 2026. The July cycle’s application deadline is July 10, 2025, with funding decisions announced in April 2026 and projects starting no earlier than June 1, 2026.

Interested applicants are encouraged to review the full Grant Program Details and Application Instructions available on the NEA website. The NEA also provides additional resources, including webinars and accessibility support for individuals with disabilities. For assistance, applicants may contact the NEA’s Office of Accessibility or Office of Civil Rights for accommodations related to the application process.