Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAPS1501
Apply for NEAPS1501
- The National Endowment for the Arts in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEA Our Town Technical Assistance Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.024 Promotion of the ArtsGrants to Organizations and Individuals.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2015 and posted on May 21, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2015 The Grants.gov system must receive your validated and accepted application no later than 1159 p.m., Eastern Time, on July 21, 2015. We strongly recommend that you submit at least 10 days in advance of the deadline to give yourself ample time to resolve any problems that you might encounter. The Arts Endowment will not accept late applications.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: County governments Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments.
- This Cooperative Agreement will begin no earlier than February 1, 2016, and end on January 30, 2018. Applicant Eligibility Nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations units of state or local government or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. To be eligible, the applicant organization must Meet the Arts Endowments Legal Requirements at the time of application. Have submitted acceptable Final Report packages by the due date(s) for all Arts Endowment award(s) previously received. An organization may submit only one proposal under this program solicitation. You may apply to other Arts Endowment funding opportunities, including Art Works and Our Town, in addition to this program solicitation. In each case, the request must be for a distinctly different project.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NEA Our Town Technical Assistance Program (Funding Opportunity Number NEAPS1501) was a National Endowment for the Arts discretionary funding opportunity offered as a Cooperative Agreement under CFDA 45.024 (Promotion of the Arts - Grants to Organizations and Individuals). Its central aim was to select a single organization to serve as the "Cooperator" and run a pilot technical assistance effort focused on strengthening the work of selected Our Town grantees. The overall emphasis was on creative placemaking, specifically helping funded projects carry out their activities more effectively while also generating useful field-level learning that would improve the NEA's understanding of what helps or hinders creative placemaking efforts across different communities.
The period of performance for the Cooperative Agreement was set to start no earlier than February 1, 2016, and end on January 30, 2018. Within that window, the chosen Cooperator would be responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing a structured technical assistance program that did more than provide general guidance. The work was framed as a pilot, meaning the NEA expected the Cooperator to test approaches, learn from implementation, and produce actionable insights that could inform a larger future program.
The required scope of work had four major deliverables. First, the Cooperator had to provide short-term, targeted technical assistance consultancies to a set of selected Our Town grantee organizations. This suggests hands-on, problem-specific support, likely tailored to the real operational challenges grantees face during implementation (such as partnership coordination, community engagement, project management, artist selection and contracting, evaluation, or alignment with local planning goals). Second, the Cooperator had to conduct a barriers analysis across the participating organizations to identify recurring obstacles that prevent successful creative placemaking. That component indicates the NEA was not only interested in fixing individual projects but also in diagnosing patterns, such as capacity constraints, cross-sector collaboration issues, regulatory hurdles, inequities in access to resources, or difficulties sustaining momentum after initial funding.
Third, the program required the development and dissemination of resource materials. These materials were meant to serve not just the participating grantees but also other practitioners and general audiences, implying products like toolkits, guides, templates, case studies, lessons learned, or other publicly shareable resources that could be used nationwide. Finally, the Cooperator had to deliver recommendations to the NEA about whether a future technical assistance program for all Our Town grantees would be desirable and viable. This recommendation package also had to include a cost analysis showing how such a program could scale nationally, specifically ramping up to support between 50 and 200 grantees across the country. In practical terms, this meant the pilot was expected to generate realistic budgeting and staffing assumptions, identify what types of assistance scale well, and clarify what level of investment would be required to expand.
Financially, the award was set as a fixed amount, with an award floor and ceiling both listed at $500,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The application window was posted May 21, 2015, with a submission deadline of July 21, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time through Grants.gov, with late applications not accepted and applicants strongly encouraged to submit at least 10 days early to avoid technical issues.
Eligibility was broad across nonprofit and government entities, as long as they were U.S.-based and met NEA legal requirements at the time of application. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that category when specified), as well as units of local or state government and federally recognized tribal governments. Institutions of higher education (both public/state-controlled and private) were also eligible, along with certain school districts and special district governments. Applicants also needed to be in good standing with the NEA regarding prior awards, including having submitted acceptable final reports by required deadlines. Only one proposal per organization was allowed for this particular solicitation, though applicants could still apply to other NEA opportunities (like Art Works or Our Town) as long as each request was for a distinctly different project.
Taken together, this opportunity was designed less like a traditional project grant and more like a structured partnership in which one capable organization would build and test a technical assistance model, deliver direct support to a subset of Our Town grantees, document common barriers to implementation, share widely usable learning resources, and provide the NEA with a clear roadmap and costed plan for potentially expanding technical assistance to a much larger national cohort of creative placemaking projects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NEA Our Town Technical Assistance Program (NEAPS1501)?
The NEA Our Town Technical Assistance Program (Funding Opportunity Number NEAPS1501) was a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) discretionary funding opportunity offered as a Cooperative Agreement under CFDA 45.024 (Promotion of the Arts - Grants to Organizations and Individuals). It was designed to fund one organization to run a pilot technical assistance effort aimed at strengthening the work of selected NEA Our Town grantees.
What was the main goal of this opportunity?
The central aim was to select a single organization (the "Cooperator") to plan, coordinate, and implement a structured technical assistance program that helped selected Our Town grantees carry out their creative placemaking projects more effectively. A second major goal was to generate field-level learning that improved the NEA's understanding of what supports or hinders creative placemaking across different communities.
What type of award was offered?
This opportunity was offered as a Cooperative Agreement, meaning it was structured as a partnership-style arrangement rather than a standard project grant, with an emphasis on delivering specific pilot activities and producing actionable learning and recommendations for the NEA.
What is CFDA 45.024?
CFDA 45.024 refers to the federal assistance listing category "Promotion of the Arts - Grants to Organizations and Individuals," under which this Cooperative Agreement was offered.
How many organizations would be selected?
The opportunity was designed to select a single organization to serve as the Cooperator and lead the pilot technical assistance program.
Who is the "Cooperator" in this program?
The "Cooperator" is the organization selected by the NEA to run the pilot technical assistance effort. The Cooperator would be responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing the technical assistance program, producing resources, analyzing barriers, and delivering recommendations (including a cost analysis) to inform potential future expansion.
What was the focus area or program emphasis?
The overall emphasis was on creative placemaking. The pilot was intended to help funded projects (Our Town grantees) implement their activities more effectively and to produce broader learning about creative placemaking conditions and challenges in varied community contexts.
What was the period of performance?
The period of performance was set to start no earlier than February 1, 2016, and end on January 30, 2018.
Was this effort intended to be a pilot?
Yes. The work was framed as a pilot program, meaning the NEA expected the Cooperator to test approaches, learn from implementation, and produce actionable insights that could inform a larger future technical assistance program.
What were the major required deliverables?
The scope of work included four major deliverables: (1) short-term, targeted technical assistance consultancies for selected Our Town grantee organizations; (2) a barriers analysis identifying recurring obstacles across participating organizations; (3) development and dissemination of resource materials for broader use; and (4) recommendations to the NEA about the desirability and viability of a future technical assistance program, including a cost analysis for scaling to support 50 to 200 grantees nationwide.
What did "short-term, targeted technical assistance consultancies" mean in this context?
Based on the description, the consultancies were intended to be hands-on, problem-specific support tailored to real implementation challenges Our Town grantees face. Examples mentioned or implied included partnership coordination, community engagement, project management, artist selection and contracting, evaluation, and alignment with local planning goals.
What is the "barriers analysis" deliverable?
The barriers analysis was a required component to identify recurring obstacles that prevent successful creative placemaking across the participating organizations. The emphasis was on diagnosing patterns, not only resolving isolated project issues.
What kinds of barriers were the program interested in identifying?
The description indicates potential recurring barriers could include capacity constraints, cross-sector collaboration issues, regulatory hurdles, inequities in access to resources, or difficulties sustaining momentum after initial funding, among other implementation obstacles observed across participating grantees.
What resource materials was the Cooperator expected to produce?
The Cooperator was required to develop and disseminate resource materials intended for participating grantees as well as other practitioners and general audiences. The description suggests materials such as toolkits, guides, templates, case studies, lessons learned, or other publicly shareable resources that could be used nationally.
What recommendations to the NEA were required at the end of the pilot?
The Cooperator had to deliver recommendations addressing whether a future technical assistance program for all Our Town grantees would be desirable and viable. The recommendation package also had to include a cost analysis showing how the program could scale nationally to support between 50 and 200 grantees.
What did the scaling cost analysis need to cover?
The cost analysis was intended to provide realistic budgeting and staffing assumptions for scaling the technical assistance model to 50 to 200 grantees, identify what types of assistance scale well, and clarify the level of investment required for national expansion.
How much funding was available?
The award was a fixed amount of $500,000. Both the award floor and award ceiling were listed at $500,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity.
When was the application window and deadline?
The opportunity was posted on May 21, 2015. The submission deadline was July 21, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were to be submitted through Grants.gov by the stated deadline.
Were late applications accepted?
No. Late applications were not accepted.
Did the NEA provide any submission timing guidance?
Yes. Applicants were strongly encouraged to submit at least 10 days early to avoid technical issues.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based nonprofit and government entities that met NEA legal requirements at the time of application. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that category when specified), units of local or state government, and federally recognized tribal governments. Institutions of higher education (public/state-controlled and private) were also eligible, along with certain school districts and special district governments.
Were federally recognized tribal governments eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments were included among eligible applicants.
Were local and state government entities eligible?
Yes. Units of local or state government were eligible to apply, as long as they met NEA legal requirements at the time of application.
Were institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Institutions of higher education, both public/state-controlled and private, were listed as eligible applicants.
Did applicants need to be in good standing with the NEA?
Yes. Applicants needed to be in good standing regarding prior NEA awards, including having submitted acceptable final reports by required deadlines.
How many proposals could an organization submit?
Only one proposal per organization was allowed for this solicitation.
Could an organization apply to other NEA opportunities at the same time?
Yes. Applicants could still apply to other NEA opportunities (such as Art Works or Our Town) as long as each request was for a distinctly different project.
Was this opportunity meant to fund an arts project directly?
Based on the description, the opportunity was designed less like a traditional project grant and more like a structured partnership to design and test a technical assistance model. The primary work was to support Our Town grantees and generate learning, resources, and recommendations that could inform a future national technical assistance program.
Who were the direct beneficiaries of the technical assistance?
The direct beneficiaries were selected Our Town grantee organizations that would receive short-term, targeted technical assistance consultancies through the pilot program.
Who else was intended to benefit from the pilot outputs?
Beyond the participating Our Town grantees, the resource materials were intended to be useful to other practitioners and general audiences, and the findings/recommendations were intended to inform NEA decision-making about a potential future technical assistance program.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (NEAPS1501) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| NEA Our Town, FY2016 Apply for 2015NEA01OT2 Funding Number: 2015NEA01OT2 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NEA Arts Education Partnership (AEP) Program Solicitation, FY2015 Apply for NEAPS1503 Funding Number: NEAPS1503 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $525,000 |
| GOGA GGNPC Art in the Parks Apply for P15AS00176 Funding Number: P15AS00176 Agency: National Park Service Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $48,000 |
| NEA Research Art Works, FY2016 Apply for 2016NEAORA Funding Number: 2016NEAORA Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $30,000 |
| NEA Literature Fellowships Translation Projects, FY2017 Apply for 2016NEA03LFTP Funding Number: 2016NEA03LFTP Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Cultural Preservation and Demonstration Arts at Sitka National Historical Park Apply for P15AS00265 Funding Number: P15AS00265 Agency: National Park Service Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Museum Property Processing and Documentation Apply for R15AS00208 Funding Number: R15AS00208 Agency: Bureau of Reclamation Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| NEA Universal Design Leadership Project FY08 Apply for NEAPS0708 Funding Number: NEAPS0708 Agency: NEA Cooperative Agreements Office Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| NEA Literature Fellowships Translations Projects, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA03LFTP Funding Number: 2008NEA03LFTP Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $20,000 |
| NEA Literature Fellowships Creative Writing, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA03LFCW Funding Number: 2008NEA03LFCW Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| NEA FY2009 Access to Artistic Excellence, Deadline 1 Apply for 2008NEA01AAE1 Funding Number: 2008NEA01AAE1 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA FY2009 Access to Artistic Excellence, Deadline 2 Apply for 2008NEA01AAE2 Funding Number: 2008NEA01AAE2 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA Challenge America Fast Track Review Grants, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA01CAFT Funding Number: 2008NEA01CAFT Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| Rosa Parks Sculpture Design Competition Apply for 2008NEA03RPSC Funding Number: 2008NEA03RPSC Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NEA Creativity and Aging in America Apply for 2008NEA01CA Funding Number: 2008NEA01CA Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| NEA Assessment of Student Learning in the Arts Apply for NEAPS0801 Funding Number: NEAPS0801 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| NEA Media Arts on Radio Television, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA01ARTV Funding Number: 2008NEA01ARTV Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NEA American Masterpieces Visual Arts Touring, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA01AMVAT Funding Number: 2008NEA01AMVAT Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| NEA American Masterpieces Presenting, FY2009 Apply for 2008NEA01AMP2 Funding Number: 2008NEA01AMP2 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA American Masterpieces Dance, FY2009 Apply for 2009NEA01AMD Funding Number: 2009NEA01AMD Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
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