Municipal Grant Opportunities
There are many opportunities for Chester County municipalities and organizations to apply for grants throughout the year. This one-stop resource provides descriptions, deadlines, and past awards for grants in several topic areas, including community development, community planning, historic preservation, open space and the environment, transportation, and utilities and infrastructure.
**Please note we do our best to keep this page up to date. The grant websites are the best source of information.**
Looking for some tips on how to apply for a grant? First, determine the funding source that fits your project and then talk to a representative at the administrating agency to identify project qualifications. Next, clearly and concisely convey the following points in the grant application: the results of your planning efforts, the relevance of the project with regional plans, and the public need and urgency for the project. Throughout the grant process, it's important to gather public input, build a team, and involve all planning resources.
Community Development | Community Planning | Historic Preservation | Open Space and Environment | Transportation | Utilities and Infrastructure
Grant Support Letter RequestsDo you need a grant support letter from the Chester County Planning Commission? If so, please send your request to ccplanning@chesco.org with the following information:
The Chester County Planning Commission is pleased to provide support letters for projects that are consistent with and advance the goals of the Chester County Comprehensive Plan Landscapes3 or other policy documents such as the Chester County Climate Action Plan.
| Tool Name | Administrating Agency | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grant Search Tool Visit Website |
Multiple Federal Agencies | This grant finder tool allows municipalities and other organizations to search for grants funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund a variety of project types, from disaster preparedness to economic development. |
| State Grants Search Tool Visit Website |
Multiple State Agencies | This search engine tool allows residents, businesses, non-profits, schools, and local governments to find and apply to grant programs from state agencies. Pennsylvania offers grants for many uses with funding supporting growth and success across the state. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entitlement Application (CDBG, HOME, ESG) Visit Website |
Chester County Department of Community Development | The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds can be used for a variety of infrastructure activities, public facility and park improvements, housing rehabilitation, public services, and economic development for income qualifying areas and households. HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funding is targeted to developing new affordable housing units in Chester County and providing first-time homebuyer assistance. |
This program typically opens in the spring of each year. |
| Community Revitalization Program (CRP) Visit Website |
Chester County Department of Community Development | Urban center municipalities, which include Chester County's 15 boroughs and the City of Coatesville, may apply for CRP funding. CRP awards support infrastructure improvements, streetscaping activities, economic development opportunities, and other projects that promote the revitalization of Chester County's urban centers. | This program typically opens in the spring of each year. |
| Community Revitalization Fund Program Visit Website |
PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) | This grant program provides financing for the construction or rehabilitation of mixed-use developments providing affordable housing in commercial corridors across the Commonwealth. Priority will be given to projects in third-class cities and smaller communities, but communities across the commonwealth are encouraged to apply. | This program typically opens in the summer, with applications due in the fall. |
| Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program in Pennsylvania Visit Website |
United States Department of Agriculture | This program provides affordable funding (loans and/or grants) to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. This funding can go toward the development of health care and public facilities; local food systems; and the following services: community support, public safety, educational, and utility. Eligible applicants include public bodies and community-based nonprofit corporations. | Applications are accepted year-round. |
| Keystone Communities Program Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development | This program is a flexible tool for use in community and economic development for a variety of uses including planning activities, façade grant programs, accessible housing programs, and development grants. Eligible applicants include government entities; redevelopment and/or housing authorities; nonprofit organizations, economic development organizations, housing corporations, etc.; community development corporations; business improvement districts; neighborhood improvement districts; downtown improvement districts; and similar organizations incorporated as authorities. | Designation applications are accepted at all times. Competitive funding applications are accepted July 1 through August 31. |
| AARP Community Challenge Visit Website |
American Association of Retired Persons | This program provides small grants to improve housing, transportation, public space, and other community elements that support great places for people of all ages. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and government entities. Other types of organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. | This program typically opens in January of each year. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision Partnership Program — Cash Grant Visit Website |
Chester County Planning Commission | This program provides funds or technical assistance to municipalities for comprehensive plans, ordinance updates, or planning studies to implement Landscapes3, Chester County's comprehensive plan and consists of two sides: Cash Grant and County Consulting/Technical. | This program offers two application rounds per year, once in the first half and once in the second half. |
| Vision Partnership Program — Rolling Mini-Grant Visit Website |
Chester County Planning Commission | These grants are available to single county municipalities seeking to quickly implement specific municipal outreach initiatives of CCPC. | Applications may be submitted at any time. |
| Local Climate Action Program (LCAP) Visit Website |
PA Department of Environmental Protection | This program provides free technical and personnel assistance to local governments that want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. Teams are trained by a DEP contractor to develop greenhouse inventories and climate action plans for their communities. | Training begins in August and concludes in May, however DEP also offers a flexible subscription option. |
| Our Town Grants Visit Website |
National Endowment for the Arts | Through project-based funding, this program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities. Our Town projects advance local economic, physical, or social outcomes in communities, ultimately laying the groundwork for systems change and centering equity. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. | Applications are accepted once per year, with guidelines posted in late April. The applicant portal opens August 8 and closes August 15. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Preservation Fund Grant Programs Visit Website |
National Park Service | Established in 1977, this grant program and includes various programs: competitive grants, formula grants, and disaster recover grants. Each program has specific criteria connected to a wide array of historic resources. They include African American Civil Rights, Preservation in Rural Communities, Historic Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Heritage, and more. There are also several programs related to specific resources: Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation, Battlefield Protection, Roads/Trails/Conservation Assistance Program, National Heritage Areas, and Preservation Training. | Varies program to program |
| Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission | This grant supports projects that rehabilitate, restore, or preserve historic resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Funding is available to nonprofit organizations and local governments for small construction projects for publicly accessible historic resources. | The application period typically closes in March of each year. |
| Keystone Historic Preservation Planning Grants Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission | This grant supports projects that identify, preserve, promote and protect publicly accessible historic and archaeological resources of Pennsylvania for both the benefit of the public and the revitalization of communities. Funding is available to nonprofit organizations and local governments for the planning and development for publicly accessible historic resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. | The application period typically closes in March of each year. |
| Certified Local Government Grant Program (CLG) Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission | This program provides financial support to participating communities to develop the tools, products, programs, and services they need to administer their local preservation programs effectively and in accordance with the CLG Guidelines and Procedures. Grant funds may be used to create standalone products or be leveraged to contribute to larger efforts such as a community's comprehensive planning process or Main Street program. Funding under this program is limited to Certified Local Governments. | Project grants are available once a year. Mini-grants are accepted on a rolling basis and scholarships are available on a rolling basis. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| C3AP Non-Ag Implementation Grant Visit Website |
Chester County Conservation District | The Chesco Chesapeake Communities Action Plan (C3AP) outlines approaches to reduce nutrients and sediment to improve the water quality of local streams and to reduce pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay. Funding assistance will be available for non-agricultural projects that include BMPs resulting in nutrient and sediment reductions. Local municipalities, non-profit organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), landowners, and other organizations are encouraged to apply. | It is anticipated that this program will be open for applications on an annual basis through at least 2025. |
| Boating Facility Grant Program Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission | This program provide grants for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located on the waters of the Commonwealth. The goal of the program is to ensure Pennsylvania's recreational boaters have the highest quality boating facilities. | This program periodically issues a call for projects. |
| Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | This grant provides funds for the planning, acquisition, and development of public parks, recreation areas, motorized and non-motorized trails, river conservation and access, and the conservation of open space. Eligible applicants include municipalities, counties, nonprofit organizations, and State Heritage Areas. | Recreation and Conservation grants open on the third Tuesday of January and close on the first Wednesday of April. ATV and Snowmobile Trails Management Restricted Account Grants open during the spring and fall (first business day in February - last business day in March; first business day in August - last business day in September). |
| Peer and Circuit Rider Program Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | The Peer program funds projects that, through a collaborative process, focus on a specific need identified by the grantee and its partners. The Circuit Rider program aides in the hiring of a full-time park, recreation or conservation professional whose services are shared by the members of a formal partnership, commission or authority. | This program is open year round. |
| Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) Visit Website |
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) | The DWCF will award matching grants of $75,000 to $1,500,000 each to conserve, restore, and protect habitats on public and private land, across rural, urban, and Tribal areas, that contribute to the overall health of the Delaware River watershed — as well as benefit the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed. Approximately $14.4 million in grant funding is available. | This program typically opens once each year. |
| Emergency Watershed Protection Visit Website |
United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service-Pennsylvania | The purpose of this program is to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements, to prevent runoff and soil erosion in order to safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and erosion on any watershed whenever natural occurrence(s) cause a sudden impairment of the watershed. Eligible applicants include municipalities, counties, and conservation districts. | Sponsors must submit a formal request for assistance within 60 days of the disaster occurrence, or 60 days from the date when access to the sites becomes available. |
| Growing Greener Plus Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection | This program provides funding for a variety of project types including watershed restoration work such as: watershed assessments; development and implementation of watershed restoration or protection plans; implementation of stormwater management wetlands, riparian buffer fencing and planting, streambank restoration, agricultural BMPs; and demonstration/education projects and outreach activities. Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal authorities, watershed organizations, and other non-profits. | This program opens once each year, typically in the spring. |
| Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund Grants Visit Website |
Commonwealth Financing Authority | These grants provide for the distribution of unconventional gas well impact fees to counties, municipalities and commonwealth agencies. The grants support improvements to municipalities' water systems and for public services and environmental protection projects. Funding programs include Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement; Baseline Water Quality Data; Flood Mitigation; Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging; Sewage Facilities; Watershed Restoration and Protection; and Greenways, Trails and Recreation. | Applications are accepted annually between February 1 and May 31. |
| Native Tree Seedlings Visit Website |
National Wildlife Federation | The National Wildlife Federation provides reimbursement for free or subsidized native tree seedlings to partners who in turn plant them through local restoration projects or community tree giveaway events. Applicants must have a plan for tree maintenance after planting. | The program is currently only able to support native tree seedling reimbursement for existing partners of the National Wildlife Federation. |
| PECO Green Region Open Space Program Visit Website |
Natural Lands | PECO provides grant awards of up to $10k to municipalities and non-profit organizations. The grants cover habitat improvement and enhanced tree cover, consulting fees, trail construction, land acquisition, and or/ the cost of creating and implementing an open space plan. | This program opens in the summer of each year. |
| Preservation Partnership Program Visit Website |
Chester County Department of Parks and Preservation | Two distinct programs that provide funding to municipalities and nonprofit land conservation organizations to permanently preserve significant natural, recreational, agricultural, historic, and cultural land resources; enhance public access to those lands; provide public benefit; and implement County and municipal land use policies. | This consists of two funding programs that are offered once each year at the same time. |
| Schuylkill Highlands Mini-Grant Program Visit Website |
Natural Lands | This is a reimbursement grant program funded by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and administered by Natural Lands. The program offers a yearly spring grant round funding grants from $1K to $25K that encourage sustainable development, protect and steward natural resources, implement land stewardship, restoration, riparian buffers, conservation plans and ordinances among other outdoor recreation projects | This program opens once each year. |
| Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Visit Website |
Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area | The fund provides grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations for projects that improve the quality and quantity of water in the river and its tributaries. The grants focus on three major sources of pollution: stormwater runoff, agricultural pollution and abandoned mine drainage. In addition, Land Transaction Assistance grants are also available to cover transaction costs for permanent land protection projects. | This program opens once each year, typically in January. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| WalkWorks Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Health | This program provide assistance to advance policy development related to active transportation. Active transportation includes walking, biking, using a wheelchair, and accessing public transit. Eligible applicants include municipalities, Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations (MPOs/RPOs), and other governmental entities, like Counties, with the capacity to complete the proposed project and adopt the resulting plans. | This program typically opens once each year. |
| Multimodal Transportation Fund Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation | This program provides financial assistance to municipalities, councils of governments, businesses, economic development organizations, public transportation agencies, rail freight, passenger rail, and ports to improve transportation assets that enhance communities, pedestrian safety, and transit revitalization. | The statewide program opens once each year. |
| Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA Set-Aside) Visit PennDOT Visit DVRPC |
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission | This program uses federal highway and transit funds for community-based "non-traditional" projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the nation's intermodal transportation system. This includes projects that build pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve access to public transportation, create safe routes to school, preserve historic transportation structures, provide environmental mitigation, and create trail projects. Eligible project sponsors include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, including federal agencies, school entities, and nonprofit entities that are responsible for administration of local transportation safety programs. | This program will continue to provide funding through 2026, with applications accepted once per year. |
| CFA Multimodal Transportation Fund Visit Website |
Commonwealth Financing Authority | This program awards funds for the development, rehabilitation, and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, including streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets and transit-oriented development. Eligible applicants include municipalities, councils of governments, businesses, economic development organizations, public transportation agencies, and rail/freight ports. | Applications are accepted from 3/1 - 7/31 each year. |
| Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program (AFIG) Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection | The primary goals of the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) Program are to improve Pennsylvania's air quality and reduce consumption of imported oil through the use of homegrown alternative fuels that will help the Commonwealth's economy and environment. Through the program, DEP solicits applications for innovative, advanced fuel and vehicle technology projects resulting in cleaner advanced alternative transportation within the Commonwealth. | This program opens two times each year. |
| Green Light-Go: Pennsylvania's Municipal Signal Partnership Program Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation | The Green Light–Go Program provides state funds for the operation and maintenance of traffic signals along critical and designated corridors on state highways. | This program opens once each year./td> |
| Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) Program Visit Website |
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation | This program uses revenues from ARLE-levied fines to fund highway safety projects across the state. A very wide range of projects are eligible, with an emphasis on those that can be completed at a relatively low cost, including retiming or coordination of existing traffic-control signals, pavement restriping projects to increase capacity or improve safety, and centerline rumble strips. Municipalities having authority to enact traffic laws are eligible to apply, as are Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), county planning organizations, and Commonwealth agencies. | Applications are accepted from June 1 to July 1, annually. |
| Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program Visit Website |
Commonwealth Financing Authority | This program provides grants for projects which involve development, rehabilitation and improvements to public parks, recreation areas, greenways, trails and river conservation. Eligible applicants include municipalities, for-profit businesses, councils of governments, and institutions of higher education. | Applications are accepted annually between February 1 and May 31. |
| Transportation & Community Development Initiative (TCDI) Visit Website |
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission | TCDI is a competitive grant opportunity for local governments, transportation management associations (TMAs), and transit agencies to support smart growth planning initiatives that help implement the Connections 2050 Plan for Greater Philadelphia. TCDI focuses on linking land use and transportation planning that results in enhancing existing transportation infrastructure, encouraging more transportation choices, reinforcing town-center development, protecting the environment, and improving quality of life. | This program opens once each year, typically in January. |
| Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Visit Website |
PennDOT and DVRPC | To continue increasing the number of local bridges classified as in a State of Good Repair, DVRPC's Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program (MBRP) will fund locally owned, bridge rehabilitation or replacement projects within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties that employ PennDOT's retro-reimbursement process. | This program typically opens once each year. |
| Grant Name | Administrating Agency | Description | Application Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| EERE Funding Opportunities Visit Website |
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy | The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) invests in research and development to lower the cost of clean energy technologies, protect the private sector from financial risk, and ensure an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Funding is awarded through an open, competitive process hosted primarily on the EERE Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE. Project selections are merit-based with an emphasis on potential energy, environmental, and economic benefits. | Varies program to program. |
| Energy Funding and Assistance Resources Visit Website |
PA Department of Environmental Protection | The PA DEP developed the Energy Funding and Assistance Finder to assist communities and organizations in identifying opportunities to receive funding and technical assistance for energy projects that can help to reduce pollution, lower bills, and drive the adoption of new, clean, and efficient technologies. | Varies program to program. |
| Homeowner On-Lot Sewage Disposal and Lateral Repair Loans Visit Website |
PENNVEST | This is a Pennsylvania state loan program to assist homeowners with improvement, replacement or repair of individual on-lot sewage disposal system or to connect for the first time to a public sewer system. | Applications are accepted year-round. |
| Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program Visit Website |
United States Department of Agriculture | A federal loan/grant program that provides clean and reliable drinking water, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Eligible applicants include most state and local governmental entities and private nonprofits. | Applications are accepted year-round. |
