Public Library Construction Grants

The Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services administers the Public Library Construction Grants program to provide state funding to eligible Florida governments for construction projects that result in completed public library facilities. The program operates under Chapter 257, Florida Statutes, and Rule 1B-2.011, Florida Administrative Code, and is identified by Catalog of State Financial Assistance number 45.020. The Florida Legislature determines the amount appropriated for the program. Grants are awarded after applications are reviewed for eligibility and completeness, scored and ranked by the Division, reviewed by the Secretary of State, and considered by the Legislature. Eligible construction projects include construction of new public library buildings, acquisition of existing buildings or property for library use, expansion of existing library facilities, and structural remodeling of existing facilities. Grant funds may support architectural services, construction, site preparation and parking, engineering costs, legal fees directly related to construction, initial or fixed equipment, furnishings and technology needed to operate the improved facility, and opening day collections. Projects must result in a complete library facility. Projects are ineligible if the state portion would be less than $10,000, if the completed building would contain less than 3,000 square feet, or if the work would not result in a complete library facility. In-kind services and routine maintenance costs for the required project identification sign are not allowable grant or matching expenditures. Applicants must be Florida counties, municipalities, special districts or special taxing districts. The applicant must own or have unconditional use of the library building and site and must maintain an established program of free public library services without discrimination for residents of the legal service area taxed for library purposes. Ownership or unconditional use generally must be documented no later than 90 days after grant award, or at application if construction will start before the award. The ownership or lease interest must continue for at least 20 years after project closeout, and the facility must remain exclusively a public library providing free library service during that period. Applicants also must not be in noncompliance with another Florida Department of State grant or owe the Department funds that have been determined to require repayment. The maximum state grant award is $500,000. Grants generally require a dollar-for-dollar local match equal to the grant amount, and applicants must assure that matching funds will be available and unencumbered at the time of grant award. The Division may waive the financial match for eligible rural communities designated under Sections 288.0656 and 288.06561, Florida Statutes, but the applicant must request the waiver when applying. Eligible matching resources may include cash, governmental appropriations, securities, validated or sold bonds, certain advance planning costs, qualifying land value, and eligible furnishings, equipment and opening day collection expenditures. All grant and matching funds must be administered by the grantee and expended by the end of the grant. Applications must be submitted through the DOS Grants System at dosgrants.com. Required application materials include authorization from the applicant's governing body; identification of the authorized signer; assurances concerning the match, project completion, facility operations and long-term public library use; documentation establishing the library; a construction project narrative prepared by a professional librarian serving as the building consultant; and a detailed building program addressing the library's history, mission, functions, space relationships, patron and workflow patterns, and future needs. Applicants seeking more than one state funding source must provide additional information about the other funding programs and explain how multiple funding sources will provide a higher level of service, support a partnership, or fund distinct portions of the construction project. Applicants planning to begin construction before grant award must also submit the additional site, ownership, project cost, facility standards, soil, flood hazard, historic preservation and related documentation required by the guidelines. The application period opened June 1, 2026, and applications were due July 10, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern through the DOS Grants System. Division staff were available for assistance from June 1 through July 10. Division review is scheduled for August 2026, followed by an application correction period in September 2026. Eligible applicants notified of deficiencies have up to 30 days after notification to make corrections through the DOS Grants System; failure to correct identified deficiencies within the specified period makes an application ineligible. Applications can receive up to 100 points. Scoring considers type of library building, the project narrative, the building program and community need, with community need determined in relation to the standard of 0.6 square feet of library floor space per capita. The ranked list is reviewed by the Secretary of State and then considered by the Legislature. Legislative budget consideration is expected from March through May 2027, with the state budget approved in May 2027 and applicant funding status communicated in June 2027. The project period begins July 1, 2027. Progress reports are due every six months, including January 1, 2028, July 1, 2028 and January 1, 2029, and the grant completion deadline is June 1, 2029. By that date the construction project must be 100 percent complete, all grant and matching funds must be paid out, and the project must be closed out with the Division. Grant payments are made on a reimbursement basis in a maximum of four payments, generally 30 percent after at least 30 percent completion, 30 percent after at least 60 percent completion, 30 percent after 100 percent construction completion, and the final 10 percent after successful completion of all project and agreement obligations. Program assistance is available from Grants Staff at GrantsOffice@dos.fl.gov or 850.245.6620.

Address every scored element explicitly, especially community need, which carries up to 30 points, and the building program, which carries up to 30 points. Use a professional librarian as the building consultant for both the project narrative and building program. Confirm that the state request is at least $10,000, the completed facility will contain at least 3,000 square feet, and the project will result in a complete library facility. If eligible for a rural match waiver, request it when applying. Correct every deficiency within the Division's specified 30-day correction period because failure to do so makes the application ineligible.