Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund

The Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund grant is administered by the New York State Education Department through the State Archives to support local governments in establishing or enhancing records management programs. Established in 1989, the fund is financed through fees collected by county clerks and the New York City Register for document recording and court index assignments. The program operates as a competitive grant, awarding funds based on the merit of submitted applications rather than entitlement or formula distribution. It is designed to provide temporary financial assistance, with the expectation that recipients will sustain records management operations through their own resources over time. The primary objective of the program is to improve the management, preservation, and accessibility of local government records. Grants support projects that address records lifecycle needs, including disaster preparedness, inactive records storage, historical records preservation, files management, and document conversion and access. Funding may be used for activities such as digitization, inventorying records, developing disaster recovery plans, improving storage facilities, or implementing electronic records management systems. However, the program explicitly prohibits using funds for general operational costs or for projects that do not directly focus on records management. Eligible applicants include a wide range of New York local government entities such as counties, municipalities, local authorities, libraries, fire districts, volunteer fire companies, ambulance services, and certain education-related entities. Applicants must generally have a designated Records Management Officer and have adopted the state’s records retention schedule, with some exceptions for specific New York City entities. Nonprofit applicants must complete a statewide prequalification process prior to submission, and failure to do so by the deadline results in disqualification from review. The grant offers two primary funding structures: Individual Grants and Shared Services Grants. Individual grants support a single entity and allow requests up to seventy five thousand dollars. Shared Services grants support collaborative projects among multiple local governments and allow requests up to one hundred fifty thousand dollars. Applicants are typically limited to one application per cycle, with limited exceptions such as disaster-related projects or county projects focused on community colleges. Additional disaster recovery grants may be available separately and are not tied to the main application cycle. Applications must be submitted electronically through the LGRMIF eGrants system, and certain signed forms must be mailed separately. The submission deadline for the current cycle is April 1, 2026 at five pm Eastern Time. Additional timeline elements include optional notice of intent submissions, deadlines for submitting questions, and requirements for account registration prior to application submission. The grant period runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with final reporting due shortly after the project end date. Applications are evaluated through a structured review process that heavily weights the project narrative and budget justification. Reviewers assess the clarity of the problem statement, proposed methodology, anticipated outcomes, and alignment with records management priorities. Projects must achieve a minimum score threshold to be considered for funding. Awards are subject to approval by multiple state oversight entities, and recipients must comply with reporting, procurement, and minority and women owned business enterprise requirements. Ongoing monitoring and documentation are required throughout the grant period to ensure compliance and successful project completion.

Focus heavily on project narrative as it determines majority of scoring Demonstrate clear problem definition measurable outcomes and long term sustainability Ensure all required documentation is complete and submitted correctly