Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)

Inspire Grants for Small Museums is a federal grant initiative administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through its Office of Museum Services. The program is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program and is designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural and remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. IMLS describes its broader mission as advancing, supporting, and empowering America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The Inspire program specifically seeks to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities. Projects must align with one of two Inspire objectives. Objective 1, Lifelong Learning, supports the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums. Objective 2, Collections Stewardship and Access, supports the management and care of collections in small museums. Funded project-based efforts may include educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, collections stewardship, staff and volunteer training, program evaluation, accessibility improvements, equipment to improve collections storage and exhibit environments, materials, supplies, software, project-related equipment, paid internships or fellowships, and other allowable project expenses. Unallowable costs include general fundraising, endowment contributions, general operating support, acquisition of collections, general promotional advertising or public relations, construction or renovation of facilities, social activities or entertainment, and research projects. IMLS expects approximately 3000000 dollars to be available and anticipates making 75 awards. Small Project requests may range from 5000 dollars through 25000 dollars, while Large Project requests may range from 25001 dollars through 75000 dollars. Small Projects do not require cost share. Large Projects require at least a one-to-one cost share from non-federal sources, and an application may be rejected if the required cost share is not included on the IMLS Budget Form. Projects may operate for one to three years, with new awards required to begin September 1, 2027. The anticipated overall period of performance extends from September 1, 2027 through August 31, 2030. Eligible applicants must be located in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau. An applicant must be a unit of state, local, or Tribal government or a private nonprofit organization with qualifying tax-exempt status and must be a qualifying museum or a parent entity responsible for operating a qualifying small museum. A qualifying museum must use professional staff, be organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes, own or use and care for tangible objects including living collections, and exhibit those objects to the general public on a regular basis. Eligible museum types include art, history, natural history, science and technology, children's, general, specialized, anthropology, and other museums as well as aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, historic houses and sites, nature centers, planetariums, and zoological parks. Partnerships and collaborations are permitted, but one eligible organization must serve as lead applicant and assume programmatic, fiscal, and legal responsibility. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov Workspace by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 13, 2026. Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier, an active SAM.gov registration, an active Grants.gov registration, and an approved Authorized Organization Representative. Required application components include the SF-424S, IMLS Museum Program Information Form, Organizational Profile, Strategic Plan Summary, Narrative, Schedule of Completion, IMLS Budget Form, Budget Justification, List of Key Project Staff and Consultants, resumes of key project staff and consultants, and Performance Measurement Plan. Depending on the applicant or proposed activities, additional required documents may include proof of private nonprofit status, a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, a Digital Products Plan, and conservation documentation. The Narrative is limited to five numbered pages and must address Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results. IMLS first checks applications for eligibility and completeness and generally rejects applications that are submitted late, request funding outside the applicable range, omit required or conditionally required components, or fail to comply with funding restrictions and guidelines. Eligible and complete applications proceed to peer review by professionals with relevant knowledge and expertise. Reviewers assess the strength of the project justification, alignment with the selected Inspire objective and institutional strategic plan, evidence of need, involvement of audiences and stakeholders, project activities and risks, qualifications of staff and partners, appropriateness of resources, progress measurement, intended results, accessibility of products, and sustainability of benefits. Awardees must also monitor Effectiveness, Efficiency, Quality, and Timeliness through a Performance Measurement Plan. IMLS expects to notify successful and unsuccessful applicants by email in August 2027, subject to the availability of funds and agency discretion. Successful applicants receive access to their Official Award Notification and related award materials through eGMS Reach, and only the signed Official Award Notification obligates federal funds and authorizes performance on the specified dates. Programmatic and administrative questions may be directed to IMLS, including the program email imls-museumgrants@imls.gov and telephone number 202-653-4744. Grants.gov technical support is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. The notice does not state that this opportunity is rolling or establish a recurring annual submission schedule.

Align the project clearly with one Inspire objective and the museum's strategic plan; use relevant data and evidence to substantiate the need or challenge; define and involve the primary audience and stakeholders; clearly state activities, assumptions, risks, mitigation strategies, staffing, and resources; use reliable measurable methods to track progress and allow course correction; articulate realistic and meaningful results; make project products accessible; explain how benefits will be sustained after the award period; follow all page limits, file naming requirements, funding ranges, cost share requirements, and funding restrictions.