Small Matching Historic Preservation Grants

The Florida Department of State is soliciting applications for Small Matching Grant-in-Aid assistance through the Small Matching Historic Preservation Grants program. The program supports local, regional, and statewide efforts to protect and preserve Florida's significant historic and archaeological resources. The solicitation is for State Fiscal Year 2028 funding. The program is focused on eligible historic preservation projects rather than general organizational support, and operational support for historic preservation organizations is specifically excluded. Eligible project types identified in the solicitation include Survey, Planning, Nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, Wayfinding for Certified Local Government and Main Street applicants only, Temporary or Traveling Exhibits, and state Historical Markers. Temporary or traveling exhibit projects are limited to Florida history museums. The Division of Historical Resources will accept applications for all eligible project types, but the current cycle identifies several statewide preservation priorities. These include surveys of historic resources within, near, or overlapping active Florida Main Street program areas; research and preparation of draft National Register nominations for historic districts overlapping active Florida Main Street or Certified Local Government areas when a professional historic structures survey has already been completed; and projects supporting surveys of sites that have not been surveyed in 10 or more years. Eligible applicant organizations are public entities or active Florida nonprofits. An applicant organization generally may submit only one Small Matching Grant application under a single application deadline in a particular application cycle. State agencies, county or city governments, and universities may submit separate applications from more than one division or department when those divisions or departments are separate and distinct budgetary units and the applications do not address the same facility, project, property, or site. Certified Local Government applicants have additional flexibility: they may submit separate applications for federal and state funding during one submission period, subject to the project-type restrictions and the limit of no more than two applications under a single deadline using the Certified Local Government designation. The maximum award amount is $50,000, depending on project type. The standard matching requirement is 1:1, with a minimum cash match contribution of 25 percent, unless an applicant or project qualifies for a waiver under the Small Matching Grant Guidelines. Certified Local Governments, active Main Street Programs, and all National Register Nomination projects may qualify for match waivers. A waiver may also be available for projects located in REDI-qualified counties or communities at the time of application submission. State agencies, state colleges, and state universities are not eligible for a waiver based on project location. The solicitation does not state a minimum award amount, total program funding amount, or expected number of awards. Applications are accepted online at dosgrants.com and must be submitted electronically. The application period opened June 1, 2026 and closed at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on July 10, 2026. Applications must be complete to be considered for evaluation. The solicitation does not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement. Applicants with questions about project types, project or work-item eligibility, or detailed requirements are directed to the Small Matching Grant Guidelines available through FLHeritage.com/grants. Eligible applications are evaluated competitively by a Secretary of State appointed Grant Panel during a public meeting. The panel reviews and scores applications under criteria contained in the Small Matching Grant Guidelines and recommends projects to the Secretary of State for possible forwarding to the 2027 Legislature for State Fiscal Year 2028 funding consideration. A panel recommendation does not constitute an immediate grant award; final awards and funding levels depend on a specific legislative appropriation. For projects funded by the 2027 Legislature, funds become available after July 1, 2027. Grantees must sign a Grant Award Agreement containing administrative responsibilities, and any unexpended grant balance reverts to the state at the end of the 12-month period on June 30, 2028. Questions may be directed to the Historic Preservation Grants Program, Division of Historical Resources, at DHRgrants@dos.fl.gov, 800.847.7278, or 850.245.6333. The solicitation does not explicitly state that the opportunity recurs annually or on another fixed schedule.

Prioritize projects that match the cycle's statewide preservation priorities; for historic district National Register nomination projects overlapping a Main Street or Certified Local Government area, ensure a professional historic structures survey has already been completed; confirm project type and work-item eligibility in the Small Matching Grant Guidelines; submit a complete electronic application by the deadline