Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants - Equipment Grants

Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants - Equipment Grants is sponsored by Minnesota State Government - Hennepin County. Provides funding to purchase sports equipment for youth aged 18 and under in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Youth activity grants | Hennepin County Making opportunities possible for all Hennepin County youth The youth activity grants program is dedicated to enhancing youth access to activities. We offer grant opportunities to local government units located within Hennepin County. Hennepin County Youth Activities Grant (HCYAG) program has awarded millions of dollars in grant funding.

This is made possible by the 0. 15% sales tax surcharge, authorized by state legislation for the construction of Target Field. We typically host two grant cycles per year and provide grants for the following opportunities: Approximately $1.

3 million have been allocated for this grant cycle. The number of awards will be based on requests received and availability of funding. Play areas: awards up to $300,000 Equipment: awards up to $10,000 Arts and music: awards up to $25,000 Lifeguard services: awards up to $50,000 Applications open: August 3, 2026 Applications due: September 10, 2026 by 4 p.

m. Requests for application (RFA) and application materials available on the Supplier Portal . Join a virtual pre-application conference for more information about the grant applications.

August 12, 2026 at 10 a. m. On the date and time of the meeting, join this Microsoft Teams meeting .

For questions about the grants and application support: Email: youth. grants@hennepin. us All questions must be submitted by August 31 at 12 p.

m. For questions about the Supplier Portal: Supplier Portal Help webpage Email: supplierportal@hennepin. us Grant awards will not be announced on this page.

If you apply for an open grant opportunity, you will be contacted directly by program staff with your award decision. To be eligible for a youth activities grant: Applicant must be a local government unit located at least partially within the geographic boundaries of Hennepin County.

For the purposes of the youth activities grant program, local government units are defined as: The majority of young people benefiting from grant funding must reside within Hennepin County.

The majority of young people benefiting from grant funding must be: Aged 18 years and younger OR participating in U4-19 sports for play area and equipment grants Aged 21 years and younger for lifeguard services grants Aged 24 years and younger for arts and music grants Grant funded projects, including programming and services, must take place in Hennepin County.

Purchases made with grant funds may not be kept by individual participants and must reside in and be stored in Hennepin County. Applicants may submit no more than ten applications across all grant opportunities. Each application must be submitted as a separate, unique bid in the Supplier Portal .

Partnerships with community organizations Local government units are strongly encouraged to partner with local businesses, nonprofits, and other community organizations for grant-funded projects. Partner organizations, such as non-profits and charter schools, are not eligible to apply on their own and must enlist a local government unit to apply. Partner organizations must be registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State.

School departments, community education programs, and other subsidiaries of school districts need to apply through the school district and not as a separate entity. The play area grant supports opportunities for youth ages 18 and younger to participate in sports and play by providing funding for the creation, expansion, and improvement of athletic facilities, recreational facilities, playgrounds, and other play spaces.

Grants up to $300,000 are available. The grant agreement term for a play area grant is typically two years in length but may be subject to change. The equipment grant supports opportunities for youth ages 18 and younger to participate in sports and other recreational activities by providing funding to purchase sports equipment.

Grants up to $10,000 are available. The grant agreement term for an equipment grant is typically one year in length but may be subject to change. The arts and music grant supports opportunities for youth ages 24 and younger to participate in arts and music projects by providing funding for arts and music supplies, programming, and education.

Grants up to $25,000 are available. The grant agreement term for an arts and music grant is typically one year in length but may be subject to change. The lifeguard services grant supports lifeguard services for youth ages 21 and younger by funding creative, innovative, and sustainable solutions to the youth lifeguard shortage through recruitment, training, hiring, and retention efforts.

Grants up to $50,000 are available. The grant agreement term for a lifeguard services grant is typically two years in length but may be subject to change. The swim lesson grant aims to promote youth water safety and reduce drowning disparities across the county by removing barriers to swim lessons.

Swim lesson grant funds may be used by the swim lesson program to offer free or reduced-cost swim lessons and/or support transportation to swim lesson locations for young people. Hennepin County has partnered with USA Swimming Foundation to administer grants to local swim lesson providers who have been approved within the Swim Lesson Provider Network .

Information about upcoming grant cycles, available funding, and the application process will be communicated by USA Swimming Foundation. Email: youth. grants@hennepin.

us For questions about upcoming and existing grant opportunities Email: youth. grants@hennepin. us For questions about an existing grant award