Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)

Deadline

Nov 13, 2026 (20 days left)

Who can apply

Others

Award range

$5,000 to $75,000

Expected awards

75

Total program funding

$3.0 million

Your own money required

Yes, cost sharing or matching is required

Opportunity number

IGSM-FY27

Posted

Sep 1, 2026

Assistance listing

45.301

More on who can apply

See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for eligibility information.

What it funds

Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums.

What to do next

1. Open the official notice on Grants.gov and download the full announcement (the NOFO) and any attachments.
2. Check you can apply: the eligible applicants above, and any detail in the notice's eligibility section.
3. Register your organization in SAM.gov (choose "all awards") and create a Grants.gov account; allow several weeks the first time.
4. Apply through Grants.gov exactly as the notice says, before Nov 13, 2026. Late applications are usually not accepted.

New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: imls-museumgrants@imls.gov

From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.