Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2026)

Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2026) — is cataloged under number IGSM-FY26 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 45.301, posted by Institute of Museum and Library Services. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as closed, first posted on January 13, 2026 and last updated on January 28, 2026. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.

Award economics. The award range on file is $5,000 -- $75,000. The agency has projected $3.0 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 75 awards. If the agency funds the expected 75 awards from the $3.0 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $40,000. Cost sharing or matching funds are required, meaning applicants must contribute a portion of the project budget from non-federal sources — factor this into your financial plan before drafting the proposal. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.

Deadline and action path. This opportunity closed on March 13, 2026. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number, so monitoring the parent program page is the most reliable way to catch re-announcements. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.