Preservation Grants

Federal Historic Preservation Grants open in December 2024

Federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants are matching grants and will reimburse up to 60% of the costs of approved costs for projects with a public benefit. The remaining 40% must be provided by the grantee as matching funds. Grant applications for the next round should be open December 1, 2024 - February 1, 2025 based on federal budget approvals.  

The selection process will emphasize projects that provide the most public benefit such as architectural and archaeological surveys, design guidelines for historic districts, and restoration of historic buildings that are listed in the National Register and have a public use. For financial incentives for commercial properties, see here for information about the Federal Historic Tax Credit. Priorities for grants will be based on the State Historic Preservation Plan. Based on these priorities, privately owned or commercially focused projects have not been able to be funded.  Examples of publicly focused projects include:

• Architectural  survey of areas experiencing rapid growth and development, other threats to cultural resources, and areas where there are gaps in knowledge regarding cultural resources and for communities in the Certified Local Government program. For proposed survey projects, the projects should identify and record historic districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects and built over 50 years ago. Surveys may be for a specific geographic area or for properties associated with themes or events important in the state’s history, such as post World War II residential development. 
• Preservation plans for towns, neighborhoods, and historic districts  
• Preparation of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places 
• Restoration of historic buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Projects must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The THC State Historic Preservation Office staff offered online training sessions on applying for Tennessee's Preservation Grant Program. The first webinar was designed for all applicants with helpful tips and tricks about application process and the Smart Simple grant management system. The video can be viewed here. 

Start Planning your 2025 Preservation Grant Application

Applications for FY2024 grants have closed and we hope to announce awards early summer 2024.  To prepare for the next round of grant applications that should open (based on federal budget approvals) December 1, 2024 you can set up your account and affiliation in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation online grants management system (GMS). It is very important before you apply to be affiliated within GMS with your organization and then to apply "under" that affiliation (you can change to your affiliated organization with the building icon in the upper right hand corner of GMS) to make sure your grant application is started correctly.

This program receives Federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or disability. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127.