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Grants for Arts Projects - Theater is sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). NEA Grants for Arts Projects support theater productions, community engagement, professional development, and innovative theater initiatives through its Theater discipline.
Official opportunity description and requirements excerpt:
GRANTS FOR ARTS PROJECTS | National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Agreement Grants Volunteer to be an NEA Panelist Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary Arts Education Partnership Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network Mayors' Institute on City Design Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge National Folklife Network Shakespeare in American Communities American Artscape Magazine National Endowment for the Arts Blog Arts & Artifacts Indemnity Program Disaster Readiness & Recovery for the Arts and Culture Sector Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships National Heritage Fellowships National Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts on COVID-19 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office of the Inspector General Frequently Asked Questions The NEA is committed to supporting excellent arts projects for the benefit of all Americans. Activities funded through Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts, foster and celebrate America’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, and benefit from arts education at all stages of life. We also support arts and health programs, including creative arts therapies, that advance the well-being of people and communities. We strongly encourage applications for arts projects that focus on one or more agency funding priorities . We welcome applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets. We fund arts projects in the following disciplines: Arts Education, Challenge America, Dance, Design & Our Town, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater & Musical Theater, and Visual & Media Arts. A full grant program description can be found below under Grant Program Guidelines below. For detailed instructions on how to apply, see Application Instructions below. Access for individuals with disabilities: Contact accessibility@arts.gov to request an accommodation or an alternate format of the guidelines at least 2 weeks prior to the application deadline. Review the GAP Program Guidelines document below for full details. Organizations eligible to apply include: Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; Units of state or local government; or Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. Applicant organizations must have completed at least 5 years of arts programming prior to the application deadline. Applicant organizations must have had an operating budget of at least $20,000 in the previous fiscal year. Generally, an applicant may submit one application per calendar year. Funding is not available in this category for individuals, applications submitted by a fiscal sponsor, commercial/for-profit enterprises, or State Arts Agencies
Application snapshot: target deadline March 1, 2026; published funding information $10,000 - $100,000; eligibility guidance Nonprofit arts organizations, including theaters
Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
GRANTS FOR ARTS PROJECTS | National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Agreement Grants Volunteer to be an NEA Panelist Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary Arts Education Partnership Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network Mayors' Institute on City Design Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge National Folklife Network Shakespeare in American Communities American Artscape Magazine National Endowment for the Arts Blog Arts & Artifacts Indemnity Program Disaster Readiness & Recovery for the Arts and Culture Sector Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships National Heritage Fellowships National Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts on COVID-19 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office of the Inspector General Frequently Asked Questions The NEA is committed to supporting excellent arts projects for the benefit of all Americans.
Activities funded through Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts, foster and celebrate America’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, and benefit from arts education at all stages of life. We also support arts and health programs, including creative arts therapies, that advance the well-being of people and communities.
We strongly encourage applications for arts projects that focus on one or more agency funding priorities . We welcome applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets.
We fund arts projects in the following disciplines: Arts Education, Challenge America, Dance, Design & Our Town, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater & Musical Theater, and Visual & Media Arts. A full grant program description can be found below under Grant Program Guidelines below.
For detailed instructions on how to apply, see Application Instructions below. Access for individuals with disabilities: Contact accessibility@arts. gov to request an accommodation or an alternate format of the guidelines at least 2 weeks prior to the application deadline.
Review the GAP Program Guidelines document below for full details. Organizations eligible to apply include: Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U. S.
organizations; Units of state or local government; or Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. Applicant organizations must have completed at least 5 years of arts programming prior to the application deadline. Applicant organizations must have had an operating budget of at least $20,000 in the previous fiscal year.
Generally, an applicant may submit one application per calendar year. Funding is not available in this category for individuals, applications submitted by a fiscal sponsor, commercial/for-profit enterprises, or State Arts Agencies and Regional Arts Organizations. Challenge America applicants may only request $10,000.
Applications submitted to Challenge America for an amount higher than $10,000 will be marked ineligible. Other GAP applicants may request from $10,000 to $100,000. Eligible applicants for Local Arts Agencies subgranting projects may request from $30,000 to $150,000.
See the Local Arts Agencies Application Instructions below for more information on subgranting eligibility. 1:1 Cost share required. Sources may include both cash and in-kind.
Review the GAP Program Guidelines document below for full details. Applications are accepted during two funding cycles each year. Grant Program Details and Application Instructions Published Early December 2025 Part 1 Application Package Available on Grants.
gov Early December 2025 Submission deadline February 12, 2026 Part 2 NEA Applicant Portal Opens to applicants February 18, 2026 Part 2 NEA Applicant Portal Submission deadline February 25, 2026 Notification of recommended funding* or rejection November 2026 Earliest project start date January 1, 2027 *If your project is recommended for funding, you must submit additional information to the NEA for approval before an award can be finalized.
Review the GAP Program Guidelines for more information. Specific due dates will be included in the tentative funding recommendation notice.
Grant Program Guidelines & Instructions GAP Grant Program Guidelines (all disciplines) This document includes a detailed description of the grant program, eligibility information, award information, an application calendar, a list of unallowable activities/costs, application review details, FAQs, and federal award administration information. Review this information before you decide to apply.
Application Instructions : Each document includes a discipline description, the types of accepted projects, and full instructions on how to complete and submit both parts of the application, including all application questions. Select the discipline that most closely corresponds with your proposed project activities from the list below.
Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works Theater & Musical Theater Detailed instructions on how to complete and submit the both parts of the application package can be found in the Application Instructions documents above. Applying for a federal grant can be time consuming, we estimate that after registering, the process to draft and submit an application takes approximately 24 hours.
Before you can submit an application, you must register with Login. gov , the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM. gov , and Grants.
gov or renew/verify these registrations. Registration can take several weeks. Application Part 1, Grants.
gov Submit the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organization Form . Clicking the link below will take you directly to the pre-populated application package in Grants. gov.
PART 1 GRANTS. GOV APPLICATION PACKAGE February Cycle: Funding opportunity number 2026NEA01GAP1 July Cycle: The Grants. gov application package for the July cycle will be available in mid-May 2026.
Do not use the February application package to apply to the July cycle. After clicking the link above: The Grants. gov “View Grant Opportunity” screen will open, click the red “Apply” button .
To create the Workspace application, you must be logged into Grants. gov with a participant role of either Workspace Manager or Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). If the Apply button is grey or you receive a “bad request” error, please see instructions on how to troubleshoot .
Create a Workspace application : Fill in the Application Filing Name field with your organization name, then Click the Create Workspace button. Go to the Manage Workspace page , where you can begin working on the application. Application Part 2, NEA Applicant Portal Complete the Grant Application Form (GAF) .
Login instructions and step-by-step directions for filling out the GAF are available via the Application Instructions documents above. The Applicant Portal (AP) is a separate website from grants. gov, click the link above to access the portal.
Applicants may receive a courtesy email at the beginning of the Part 2 submission window as a reminder that the AP is open – you do not need to wait for this email to access the AP, it will open promptly at 9:00 am Eastern Time on the date indicated on the calendar.
Emails can occasionally get caught in spam filters, for this reason non-receipt of the courtesy email does not provide grounds for an extension, nor should it be interpreted to mean that Part 1 of your application was not received. See the Applicant Resources on the sidebar for video tutorials, an application checklist and template, and other helpful resources.
Before applying, we recommend that you review reporting requirements and other information related to managing a federal award, including the General Terms and Conditions, on our Manage Your Award page. Learn about grantees, artists, arts organizations, and arts events around the country through our blog, podcasts, interviews, videos, and magazine.
Stay Connected to the National Endowment for the Arts Section 508 Accessibility Scam Regarding NEA Grants 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20506
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Nonprofit arts organizations, including theaters Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $10,000 - $100,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 1, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
NEA FY27 Research Labs in Arts and Health is sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Supports interdisciplinary research on arts benefits for health, including creative arts therapies relevant to performing arts in military/veteran, pediatric, and older adult contexts. Application snapshot: target deadline March 13, 2026; published funding information $150,000 - $400,000; eligibility guidance Universities, research institutions, nonprofits with interdisciplinary teams Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
NEA Research Labs is sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Funds long-term, interdisciplinary research agendas on the arts' contributions, potentially including theater impact studies. Official opportunity description and requirements excerpt: Opportunity Listing - NEA Research Labs, FY 2026 An official website of the United States government Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. You've been logged out. Please sign in again. NEA Research Labs, FY 2026: 2025NEA01ORALABS NEA Research Labs, FY 2026 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Assistance Listings: 45.024 -- Promotion of the Arts Grants to Organizations and Individuals Last Updated: January 27, 2025 View version history on Grants.gov The NEA Research Labs program funds projects that support transdisciplinary research teams to build public knowledge about the arts and their contributions to individuals, communities, and society at large. Each Lab will conduct multiple research studies and develop a suite of products or services. Public and state institutions of higher education Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Special district governments Federally recognized Native American tribal governments Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3) Grantor contact information No documents are currently available. Link to additional information Program Guidelines and Application Instructions Funding opportunity number : Cost sharing or matching requirement : Funding instrument type : Opportunity Category Explanation : Category of Funding Activity : To give feedback, contact: simpler@grants.gov Grants.gov Support Center For technical support, contact: support@grants.gov Grants.gov Program Management Office Grantors, contact the PMO through your Agency Point of Contact . An official website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Looking for U.S. government information and services? Visit USA.gov Application snapshot: target deadline March 23, 2026; published funding information $100,000 - $300,000; eligibility guidance Interdisciplinary research teams at nonprofits or universities Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
Research Grants in the Arts is sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Supports research studies investigating the value and impact of the arts, including theater, in American life. Official opportunity description and requirements excerpt: Opportunity Listing - NEA Research Grants in the Arts, FY 2026 An official website of the United States government Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. You've been logged out. Please sign in again. NEA Research Grants in the Arts, FY 2026: 2025NEA01ORAGRANTS NEA Research Grants in the Arts, FY 2026 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Assistance Listings: 45.024 -- Promotion of the Arts Grants to Organizations and Individuals Last Updated: January 27, 2025 View version history on Grants.gov Research Grants in the Arts (RGA) support research studies that investigate the value and/or impact of the arts, either as individual components of the U.S. arts ecosystem or as they interact with each other and/or with other domains of American life. Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3) Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts Public and state institutions of higher education Special district governments City or township governments Federally recognized Native American tribal governments Grantor contact information No documents are currently available. Link to additional information Program Guidelines and Application Instructions Funding opportunity number : Cost sharing or matching requirement : Funding instrument type : Opportunity Category Explanation : Category of Funding Activity : To give feedback, contact: simpler@grants.gov Grants.gov Support Center For technical support, contact: support@grants.gov Grants.gov Program Management Office Grantors, contact the PMO through your Agency Point of Contact . An official website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Looking for U.S. government information and services? Visit USA.gov Application snapshot: target deadline March 23, 2026; published funding information $20,000 - $100,000; eligibility guidance Nonprofit research organizations, universities (excluding individuals or for-profits) Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
