Certified Local Government Grants

The Historic Preservation Fund grant program administered through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Historic Preservation Division supports local historic preservation activities and strengthens Georgia's Certified Local Government program. Only federally designated Certified Local Governments may apply, and the applicant must be the local government itself. The local government's chief executive officer must have legal authority to accept a federal grant, and the application must be signed by an authorized representative such as the mayor or city manager. Applicants must be in good standing with the Historic Preservation Division, including being current on CLG evaluations. A CLG that has submitted its most recent evaluation remains eligible regardless of the evaluation result. Local governments also must comply with applicable State standards before an award can proceed. Eligible activities include historic resource surveys, National Register district nominations, preservation planning, design guidelines, information and education projects, historic structure reports, condition assessment reports, structural assessment reports, preservation plans, architectural drawings, specifications, and qualifying cemetery projects. The program also supports bricks and mortar rehabilitation of historic buildings, structures, monuments, places, cemeteries, and parks. Development projects have additional eligibility requirements, including a legal description of the property, listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and documentation of previous predevelopment or planning activities. A preservation agreement or covenant is required at completion of a development project. Properties owned or controlled by churches, religious denominations, or sectarian institutions are not eligible for grant funding. Awards range from $1,000 to $25,000, while average awards are stated as approximately $10,000 to $20,000. CLG grants operate on a 60 percent federal and 40 percent local matching basis. The grant amount requested cannot exceed 60 percent of the total project cost, and the applicant must provide at least 40 percent from local, non-federal sources. Matching share may include cash, donated labor, or donated materials, and applicants are encouraged to provide as much cash match as possible. The grants are reimbursable, so recipients must have sufficient financial capacity to carry project costs before reimbursement. Up to 25 percent of the grant may be withheld from final payment until Historic Preservation Division staff approve completed work. Project budgets should explain how costs were calculated, including donated labor when applicable. Applications are submitted through the NR-TIGERS online grant management system. Applicants choose either the Development/Predevelopment or Survey/Planning application and complete the required application information, project information, budget, matching-share information, and document uploads. Required documents include the CLG Grant Assurance Form, the applicable SF-424 assurance form, SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form, a resolution authorizing the application and documenting matching-fund availability, and letters of support. Historic resource survey projects also require the CLG Grant Survey Requirement Form and a survey map. Development projects require a legal description and property photographs, with other property or predevelopment documents required when applicable. Applicants should not submit the application until every required attachment has been uploaded because applications cannot be edited after submission. The Historic Preservation Division Grant Selection Committee evaluates Survey/Planning projects for their relationship to prior or future preservation activities, consistency with professional standards and methodology, demonstrated preservation need, public benefit, statewide distribution, urgency or threat to the resource, and relationship to ongoing or recurring activities that benefit HPD programs or outreach. Development and Predevelopment projects are evaluated for resource eligibility, appropriateness of the project concept, consistency of design with preservation or professional standards, demonstrated preservation need, public benefit, exceptional significance or rarity of the resource, statewide distribution, and urgency or degree of threat. For the FFY 2026 cycle, HPD states that no particular project or activity type has been designated as a high priority for preservation assistance. Applications and all supporting materials were due February 1, 2026, and late or incomplete applications are not considered. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, or other pre-application gating submission is identified. The guide states that project schedules must allow all project work to be completed by September 30, 2028, with a first draft due August 15, 2027, a second draft due November 3, 2027, and a final product due January 15, 2028. The source does not state an award notification date or an application opening date. The guide refers to grant cycles and consecutive grant cycles, supporting treatment of the program as recurring; using the published February 2026 deadline as the available cycle anchor, the next expected cycle is February 2027. Questions about the program or CLG status should be directed to hpgrants@dca.ga.gov, and the agency header provides the telephone number 404-679-4940.

Register for NR-TIGERS well before the deadline because HPD approval is not immediate; do not submit until every required form and attachment is uploaded because the application cannot be edited after submission; avoid special characters in filenames; explain how project costs were calculated; show sufficient financial capacity for a reimbursable grant; demonstrate preservation need, public benefit, urgency, and relationship to prior or future preservation work; follow applicable preservation and professional standards; development applicants should verify National Register and predevelopment documentation requirements before submission.