Route 66 Preservation and Economic Development Grant Program

Route 66 Preservation and Economic Development Grant Program is sponsored by Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership. Assists businesses and attractions along historic Route 66 in Oklahoma with preservation and economic development projects.

Preservation & Economic Development Grant — Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership Preservation & Economic Development Grant Program The Route 66 Preservation and Economic Development Grant Program [Route 66 PED Grant Program] seeks to support businesses and attractions located along Route 66.

It is part of the Road Ahead Partnership’s efforts to celebrate the upcoming Route 66 Centennial by helping the millions of people who live, work, and travel the Mother Road. The 2026 round of the Preservation and Economic Development Grant Program opens on Thursday, July 2nd.

8/10/26 Grant Awards Announced The Route 66 Preservation and Economic Development Grant program goals include: Helping Route 66 Businesses/Attractions stay in operation. Helping Route 66 Businesses/Attractions reopen. Helping preserve, restore and/or expand Route 66 Businesses/Attractions, per Secretary of the Interior Standards, Help new Route 66 Businesses/Attractions open.

In 2026, up to $35,000 will be awarded. This will consist of as many as fourteen awards of up to $2,500 each. Thanks to support from Bosch Wiper Blades, four grant awards will specifically target independent auto repair shops or mechanics along Route 66.

The ability to make/increase annual awards will be contingent on the fundraising efforts designed to support the Route 66 Preservation and Economic Development Grant Program. If you or your organization are interested in supporting / funding some micro-grants under this program, please contact: wthomas@teleologic.

net Grant Recipient Eligibility Businesses and attractions that ARE ELIGIBLE to apply include those that: Are physically located on a Route 66 alignment (i.e., a “brick-and-mortar” location) and/or operate in a Route 66 neighborhood or community Employ fewer than 20 full-time employees (including the company owners) Are a registered business entity in good standing in the state where they were formed and the state in which they do business.

Note : Four grant awards will specifically target automotive entities, including independent auto repairt or mechanic shops, along Route 66, per funding support from Bosch Wiper Blades.

Independently travel the road, serving other businesses/attractions along Route 66, including, for example: small tour operators, suppliers with Route 66 as their sales region, etc Are small, locally-owned franchises with five or fewer locations Businesses and attractions that ARE NOT ELIGIBLE to apply include those that are: Digital-only businesses (digital includes, without limitation, online and application-based businesses or attractions) Part of a large national franchise (i.e., six or more locations and/or a chain that serves areas primarily outside of the Route 66 corridor) Adult entertainment venues or sexually explicit businesses; Cannabis dispensaries, cannabis production facilities, or businesses primarily selling drug paraphernalia; Gambling establishments, casinos, or betting operations; Nightclubs or alcohol-primary establishments [where alcohol sales exceed 50% of revenue]; Publicly traded companies or corporate-owned national chains; Passive real estate holding companies or property investment entities without an active, customer-facing Route 66 business; Political organizations, campaigns, PACs or lobbying entities Eligible Activities Guidance Activities for which grant applications can be submitted include, but are not limited to: Business/Organization Improvement/Sustainability Purchase of equipment or furnishings Materials and services such as printing, photographs, telephone, and supplies For non-profit organizations, organizational capacity-building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc. Updates to websites for better operations and communications Safety and diagnostic improvements Technician training or workforce development Jobs supported and service continuity Iinfrastructure or equipment repairs/upgrades Historic Preservation Planning/Work Fees for consultant services (such as architect, preservation architect, contractor, consultant to produce a business plan or marketing plan, web or app designer, landscaper, or landscape architect, etc.) Building, construction, repair, or maintenance activities (work needs to meet preservation standards and/or maintain the historic integrity of the building) Building, construction, repair, or maintenance activities (work needs to meet preservation standards and/or maintain the historic integrity of the building) Business signage upgrades and restoration to ensure shops remain visible icons.

Efforts to enhance brightness and durability while preserving vintage character that aligns with Route 66 Accessibility/Community Outreach Enhancing a building or space to align it with ADA accessibility standards Language translation of menus, websites, or other materials to be more inclusive and accessible to diverse local customers and audiences Innovations to improve the sustainability of a building or attraction, such as reducing energy consumption or food waste Grant Application Review Committee A Route 66 PED Grant Program Review Committee, established by the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, will act independently of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and be responsible for reviewing grant applications in accordance with the Grant Review Criteria outlined below.

Grant Application Review Criteria Route 66 PED Grant Program project applications will be reviewed based on the degree to which they: Help a Route 66 business or attraction remain in operation. Help a Route 66 business or attraction reopen. Preserve, restore, and/or expand a Route 66 business or attraction, per Secretary of the Interior Standards or maintenance of a building’s historic integrity.

Help open a new Route 66 business or attraction.

Grant Application Review Preferences When grant award decisions are made, preference will be given to businesses or attractions that: Are small, independently owned, and/or located in an historic or older building or neighborhood in a Route 66 town Contribute to the history and/or identity of the surrounding community or neighborhood and/or Route 66 Have a compelling or inspiring inclusive historic narrative or cultural significance Have been disproportionately impacted by economic challenges, disasters, or other hardships Did not receive a grant through another Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership grant program within the last 12 months Businesses and attractions located directly on a Route 66 alignment Represent an historically underserved or under-resourced population along Route 66.

Support research, preservation, and/or interpretation of a Route 66 property/physical asset related to an historically underserved and/or under-resourced group. The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion [creed], gender, gender expression, age, national origin [ancestry], disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations.

Decisions regarding grant awards are based on guidelines that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Only fully completed grant applications, received on time per program deadlines, will be processed and reviewed for consideration of a grant award. All grant application materials submitted become the property of the Road Ahead.

Grant applications will not be returned. The Route 66 PED Grant Program Review Committee may request additional information to assist in its evaluation of an application. The Route 66 PED Grant Program Review Committee reserves the right to increase or decrease grant awards made per each grant program round, based on the number and quality of eligible grant applications received.

The Route 66 PED Grant Program Review Committee reserves the right to reject any application, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, in its sole discretion. Grantees are responsible for the proper expenditure of funds and for maintaining supporting documents that provide complete disclosure of the use of grant funds, should such records be requested as part of a project’s Final Report.

There is no guarantee that any business or attraction will receive funding. Applicants who submit qualified applications, but do not receive funding, due to insufficient funding or lower review scores compared to other applications, may submit applications to future rounds of the Route 66 PED Grant Program.

Grantees are responsible for the proper expenditure of funds and for maintaining supporting documents that provide complete disclosure of the use of grant funds, should such records be requested as part of a project’s Final Report. Grant funds awarded cannot be used in support of any political campaign, election activities, or other political activity.

In most instances, grant funds to individuals are counted as taxable income on the recipient’s federal tax return. Please contact your accountant if you have questions. If there are significant changes to a business or attraction’s structure or personnel during the grant period, the grant applicant shall notify the Route 66 PED Grant Program of the change in writing.

Privacy: Information provided through the application process is the responsibility of each applicant. Applications submitted to the Route 66 PED Grant Program will remain confidential from the general public and any fellow applicants.

Applicants will not hold the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s officers, employees, and/or agents liable for any losses, damages, costs, or expenses of any kind relating to the use or the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information submitted via the application process.

Conflict of Interest: Current directors, officers, employees, and contractors of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, Route 66 PED Grant Program Review Committee, and such individuals' family members (spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and spouses of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) are not eligible to receive an award. Click HERE to apply for a Grant