Division of Historical Resources
Special Category Historic Preservation Grants Formal Solicitation for Applications April 1, 2018 – June 1, 2018 for Fiscal Year 2019-2020
The Florida Department of State is currently soliciting applications for Special Category Grant-in-Aid assistance for historic preservation projects. Applications will be accepted online at dosgrants.com. The application submission period will open April 1, 2018, and close at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) on June 1, 2018. Applications will only be accepted electronically and must be complete to be considered for evaluation.
SPECIAL CATEGORY GRANTS PROGRAM
The purpose of the Special Category Grants Program is to provide funding to assist major local, regional, and state-wide efforts to preserve significant historic structures and archaeological resources, to assist major archaeological excavations or research projects, and assist in the development and fabrication of major museum exhibits that will promote knowledge and appreciation of the history of Florida. The program does not fund operational support for museums or historic preservation organizations.
Project types include: Development; Archaeological Research; Museum Exhibit; and Acquisition. For questions about project types or the eligibility of a project or work item, please refer to the Special Category Grant Guidelines.
STATEWIDE PRESERVATION PRIORITIES
Though the Division of Historical Resources will accept applications for all eligible types, this cycle’s priority is:
- Projects that support efforts of studying or protecting historic resources at risk.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible Applicant Organizations are either a public entity or an active Florida nonprofit. For questions about eligibility, please refer to the Special Category Grant Guidelines.
AWARD AMOUNT AND MATCH REQUIREMENTS
Maximum award amount: $500,000
Match requirement: 1:1, equivalent match, with a minimum cash match contribution of 25 percent.
Match reduction: A reduction is available for projects proposed to be located within rural counties or communities designated pursuant to Sections 288.0656 and 288.06561, Florida Statutes, as REDI-qualified at the time of application submission, as stipulated in the Special Category Grant Guidelines. State agencies, state colleges, or state universities are not eligible for a match reduction, regardless of project location.
APPLICATION RESTRICTIONS
An Applicant Organization may submit only one (1) Historic Preservation Special Category Grant Application under a single application deadline for a particular application cycle. State agencies, county or city governments, or universities may submit single applications from more than one division or department under a single application cycle provided that those divisions or departments are separate and distinct budgetary units, and provided that applications do not address the same facility, project, property, or site. For additional restrictions, please refer to the Special Category Grant Guidelines.
APPLICATION REVIEW AND PROJECT SELECTION
Eligible applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis by the Florida Historical Commission (FHC) in a public meeting. The FHC will review and score applications pursuant to criteria in the Special Category Grant Guidelines, and recommend to the Secretary of State those applications that should be forwarded to the 2019 Legislature for funding consideration in State Fiscal Year 2020.
The FHC’s recommendation to the Secretary of State will not result in any immediate grant award. The award and level of funding for each Special Category project will be subject to specific legislative appropriation.
RELEASE OF FUNDS
For projects receiving funding from the 2019 Legislature, funds will become available after July 1, 2019, which is the beginning of the 2019-2020 State Fiscal Year. To receive grant funds, grantees will be required to sign a Grant Award Agreement containing specific administrative responsibilities. The funds must be fully obligated by June 30, 2020. Any unexpended balance of grant funds will revert to the state at the end of the 24-month period, on June 30, 2021.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Grantees with Special Category grant projects involving acquisition or development activities will also be required to execute Restrictive Covenants that must be recorded with the property deed by the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the property is located prior to the release of the grant funds. These covenants require that, in exchange for state grant funds, the grantee will not undertake modifications to the property (other than routine repairs and maintenance) for a period of 10 years, or 20 years in the case of acquisition, without review and approval of plans and specifications by the Division.
For Special Category grant projects involving properties other than real property (e.g. aircraft, locomotive, or marine vessel) and Museum Exhibit projects, the grantee shall execute and notarize a Preservation Agreement prior to the release of grant funds. The preservation agreement requires that the grantee and property owner shall follow the terms specified therein for ten (10) years for Development projects and five (5) years for Museum Exhibit projects.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding proposed projects or the online application form, please call the Historic Preservation Grants Program, Division of Historical Resources, at 1(800)847-7278 or (850)245-6333, or email at DHRgrants@dos.myflorida.com.
