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pdfNational Endowment for the Arts
Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY27 Partnership Agreement
Grants
Grant Program Guidelines: Regional Arts Organizations
Table of Contents
Click a heading below to jump directly to that section
Partnership Agreement Grants: Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs) ...................................... 3
Basic Information .............................................................................................................. 3
Executive Summary................................................................................................................. 3
Regional Arts Agencies Program Description ...................................................................... 5
Program Goals & Objectives ................................................................................................... 5
National Endowment for the Arts, Regional, and State Partnership...................................... 6
Authorizing Statute ................................................................................................................. 7
Eligibility Requirements for Regional Arts Organizations .................................................... 8
Award Amounts & Cost Share ............................................................................................ 9
Partnership Award Amounts .................................................................................................. 9
Cost Share Funds..................................................................................................................... 9
Period of Performance ............................................................................................................ 9
Application Contents & Format ........................................................................................ 10
Application Instructions ........................................................................................................ 10
Applications Recommended for Funding ............................................................................. 10
Submission Requirements & Deadlines ............................................................................ 10
Pre-Application Required Registration ................................................................................. 10
Submission Methods............................................................................................................. 10
Contact Information.............................................................................................................. 10
Application Submission Dates and Times ............................................................................. 11
Application Review .......................................................................................................... 12
Review Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 12
Review Process ..................................................................................................................... 12
Application Status Updates................................................................................................... 12
Award Notices ................................................................................................................. 13
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Risk Review ........................................................................................................................... 13
Final Reporting on Previous Awards ..................................................................................... 13
Post Award Requirements & Administration .................................................................... 14
Prohibition on Supplanting Non-Federal Funds ................................................................... 14
General Terms & Conditions ................................................................................................. 14
Project Reporting and Evaluation ......................................................................................... 14
Legal Requirements and Assurance of Compliance.............................................................. 15
Civil Rights ............................................................................................................................. 15
Laws Relating to Lobbying (31 U.S.C. 1352).......................................................................... 15
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement ................................................................................... 16
Access for individuals with disabilities:
Contact accessibility@arts.gov to request an accommodation or an alternate format of the
guidelines at least 2 weeks before the application deadline.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Basic Information
Partnership Agreement Grants: Regional Arts
Organizations (RAOs)
Basic Information
Federal Agency Name
Funding Opportunity Title
Announcement Type
Funding Opportunity Number(s)
Assistance Listing Number(s)
Agency Contact Information
National Endowment for the Arts
Partnership Agreement Grants
Modification of previous announcement
2027NEA04PA
45.025
Contacts Page [Link]
FUNDING DETAILS
Total amount of funding
expected to award
Anticipated number of awards
Expected dollar value of awards
(range)
AMOUNT (Contingent on availability of funds)
$XX,XXX,XXX
6
$XXXXXXX-$XXXXXXX
Executive Summary
The National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) State & Regional Partnership Agreement grants
are awarded to the nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs), and the six regional
arts organizations (RAOs) with geographically-defined SAA memberships.
Partnership Agreement grant support enables RAOs to respond to the needs identified through
public planning undertaken with their constituents, partners, and stakeholders. This investment
in locally-determined priorities extends federal reach and impact.
Eligibility for RAO Partnership Agreement grants is limited to the six U.S. RAOs.
COMPONENTS OF THIS NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO):
• GRANT PROGRAM Guidelines (this document): Information about the grant program,
including a grant program description, eligibility, review criteria, award amount and cost
sharing, and post-award requirements and administration, among others.
• APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS DOCUMENT: Navigate to the “Application Instructions”
section on the Partnership Agreements webpage for complete information on application
requirements and how to complete and submit your application.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Basic Information
KEY DATES:
Step
Date
Grant Program Details and Application
Instructions Published
July 2026
Application Package Available on Grants.gov
July 2026
Submit Application to Grants.gov
October 9, 2026 11:59 pm ET
Notification of recommended funding or
rejection
April 2027
Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project
July 1, 2027
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Program Description
Regional Arts Agencies Program Description
The regional arts organizations (RAOs) are private, nonprofit entities created by state arts
leaders in the mid-1970s to facilitate the exchange of artists across state borders. The National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) encouraged the development of RAOs to cultivate the touring of
artists to sparsely populated and underserved areas of the country.
Over time, RAOs have evolved to play a major role in strengthening the effectiveness and
efficiency of the U.S. arts infrastructure. They draw on their own ability to cultivate public and
private resources; work collaboratively across state, national, and international borders; and
deliver programming across all arts disciplines.
RAOs play a leading role with federal agencies, funders, and those working at the state and
community levels to design, implement, and channel resources into programs and services that
meet the needs of the public they serve. While they operate independently, RAOs collaborate
with each other, their member states, and constituency groups in a national network, to assist
the NEA and other funders in delivering programs.
Program Goals & Objectives
Federal investment in this area is based on each RAO’s execution of a responsive planning
process in response to constituents’ needs. Regional Partnership Agreement grants support
region-identified goals and activities consistent with the RAO’s regional arts plan. RAOs are
encouraged to review NEA agency priorities as part of their own strategic planning processes.
Additionally, the RAOs may also receive funding to support shared goals and objectives in the
areas of artist-centered engagement, folk & traditional arts, and accessibility .
Funding for these program components is included in the Partnership Agreement award total,
with a required cost share-match.
Regional Engagement Program
The Regional Engagement Program (REP) recognizes a contemporary evolution of regional arts
organizations’ service to the field, through their support for artist-centered engagement, with
an emphasis on programs that reach underserved groups/communities and enhance public
engagement with the arts. For the purposes of these guidelines, an underserved
group/community includes populations whose opportunities to experience the arts have been
limited relative to factors such as geography, economics, ethnicity, or disability. Within this
broad definition, RAOs are asked to specify their own underserved constituencies.
Support is available for regional programs that:
• Increase access to the arts in underserved groups/communities
•
Enhance public engagement with the arts
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
•
Program Description
Are based on planning with stakeholders including, but not limited to: artists, arts
ensembles, arts organizations, and/or other partners such as state arts agencies, local arts
agencies, and other community groups.
Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to, touring and presentation, artist
residencies, educational programming, professional development, artist professional
network and cohort development, and/or the creation of new work by artists.
Please note the following:
• Programs must be compliant with the NEA General Terms and Conditions for Partnership
Agreement grants.
•
•
Selection processes must base decisions on criteria that includes artistic excellence and
artistic merit.
•
Programming must be accessible to, and engage with, individuals and artists of all
abilities, including in-person or virtual elements in compliance with federal law.
•
We recommend that no more than 20 percent of the NEA Regional Engagement funds be
used to support an RAO's administrative costs. RAOs should determine the number and
size of grants for their program, informed by regional planning, community conversations,
and programmatic/service history.
Folk and Traditional Arts Partnership
Folk and Traditional Arts Partnerships funding is intended to strengthen living cultural traditions
in every state, jurisdiction, or region and bolster the folk and traditional arts field. The NEA
envisions stable, outreach-driven programs that are responsive to a region’s folk and traditional
arts heritage. RAOs are encouraged to support professional, paid positions in the folk and
traditional arts. Possible components might include, but are not limited to: fieldwork to identify
and document underserved folk & traditional artists; apprenticeships, mentorships, or folk arts
in education programs; and statewide activities that increase public awareness of living cultural
heritage.
Accessibility
Subject to funding availability, up to $15,000 may be requested for RAOs to support
professional development (for staff members of RAOs and member SAAs) and subawards
related to accessibility requirements for cultural organizations and engagement with the
disability community. This funding is included in Partnership Agreement grants.
National Endowment for the Arts, Regional, and State Partnership
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the RAOs, and the SAAs comprise a national
network of arts funders, cultural program and service providers, and leaders in the arts and
culture sector. We invest in the network through State and Regional Partnership Agreement
grants in order to:
• Strengthen the cultural infrastructure of the United States,
•
Facilitate the creation and presentation of artistic works,
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Program Description
•
Provide the public with lifelong learning opportunities in the arts,
•
Enhance public engagement with, and access to, the arts,
•
Foster greater cultural understanding, and
• Contribute to the enrichment of lives and communities throughout the nation.
We acknowledge that SAAs may choose to participate in the work of an RAO of which it is not a
member. SAAs may choose to shift membership from one RAO to another, or may choose to
withhold membership in an RAO. Shifts in state membership in RAOs must be preceded by at
least one full year of planning by all of the agencies involved, including the NEA.
Authorizing Statute
The NEA offers this funding opportunity under the authority of 20 U.S.C. § 954.
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Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements for Regional Arts Organizations
In order to enter into a Partnership Agreement grant with the NEA, a regional arts organization
must:
• Be comprised of at least three state arts agency (SAA) members.
•
Meet the NEA’s Legal Requirements at the time of application.
SAM Registration
All applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), be registered with the System for
Award Management (SAM), and maintain an active SAM registration until the application
process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award.
Planning Process
The regional arts organization must have developed a regional arts plan that:
•
Results from a comprehensive and responsive planning process that engages SAAs and
other constituents.
Reflects recommendations from the public process, as well as programmatic and/or policy
responses to the recommendations.
The regional arts organization submits this plan with its Partnership Agreement grant
application.
•
Regional arts organizations that subaward must:
• Require their subrecipients to provide a UEI before a grant can be made.
•
Report awards of $30,000 or more in federal funds and, if required, information about the
compensation of executives related to those grants to the Federal Funding Accountability
and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS).
•
Base program funding decisions on criteria that includes artistic excellence and artistic
merit.
Ensure that all subawards made with Federal or cost share funds are in compliance with
the General Terms and Conditions for the NEA award, including requirements for passthrough entities as provided under 2 CFR 200.331.
Subgranting to individuals is not allowed, with the exception of support for folk arts and
professional development activities.
•
For full requirements for subawards, see Appendix A of the Partnership Agreements General
Terms and Conditions.
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Award Information & Cost Share
Award Amounts & Cost Share
Partnership Award Amounts
Funding is available to support region-identified goals and activities. Additionally, awards may
include funds for shared programmatic goals and objectives, to support Folk and Traditional
Arts, Accessibility, and artist-centered engagement through the Regional Engagement Program.
Partnership award amounts are determined through a formulaic process that includes
consideration of NEA allocations and available funds, previous award levels, current RAO
program offerings, and the region’s population figures.
Cost Share Funds
All awards require a cost share of at least 1 to 1.
All costs included in your Project Budget, whether supported by NEA funds or cost share funds,
must be expended during your period of performance, including all costs associated with
subaward activity.
Period of Performance
Awards will support activities that are scheduled to begin on July 1, 2027, or any time
thereafter.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Application Contents & Submission Req
Application Contents & Format
Application Instructions
A document containing detailed instructions on how to prepare and submit your application
can be found on the Partnership Agreement Grants page, under “Grant Program Guidelines and
Instructions”.
Applications Recommended for Funding
Following the notification of funding offers (anticipated to be April 2026), all applicants must
complete and submit a Partnership Agreement grant budget for NEA review. Instructions and
deadlines will be provided with the notification of funding.
Submission Requirements & Deadlines
Pre-Application Required Registration
Before applying, all applicants must register with Login.gov, Grants.gov, and the System for
Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov. Applicants must provide a valid unique entity
identifier (UEI) in their application; and continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration
with current entity information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an
application or plan under consideration by a Federal agency. All three required registrations
must be active to submit the application through Grants.gov. Returning applicants must
renew or verify that their registrations are up to date prior to the application deadline.
Registering and maintaining accounts with Login.gov, SAM, and Grants.gov is always FREE.
The Registration Guidance document available on the Partnership Agreements webpage
provides information about registration, including links to each registration site, and support
resources.
Submission Methods
SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA GRANTS.GOV
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. To begin the submission
process, access the Grant Opportunity Package on the Partnership Agreements Grants page,
under the “How to Apply” heading.
Contact Information
See the Contacts page for contact information for NEA staff, Login.gov, SAM, and Grants.gov.
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Application Contents & Submission Req
Application Submission Dates and Times
Step
Date
Grant Program Details and Application
Instructions Published
July 2026
Application Package Available on Grants.gov
July 2026
Submit Application to Grants.gov
October 8, 2026 11:59 pm ET
Notification of recommended funding or
rejection
April 2027
Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project
July 1, 2027
Grants.gov must receive your validated application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on
October 8, 2026.
We suggest that you submit your application at least 10 days prior to the deadline to give
yourself ample time to resolve any problems that you might encounter. You take significant risk
by waiting until the day of the deadline to submit your application. Late applications will not be
accepted.
In the event of an emergency (e.g., a hurricane, a SAM.gov or Grants.gov technological failure),
the NEA Chair may adjust application deadlines for affected applicants. If a deadline is extended
for any reason, an announcement will be posted on our website.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Application Review & Award Notices
Application Review
Review Criteria
NEA staff review applications to confirm that eligibility requirements are met. In addition,
external reader reviewers will provide reader comments related to narrative and plan
documents addressing:
• The RAO’s operating environment, mission, and goals.
•
The RAO’s planning process, including:
o the timeline and methodology for constituent engagement through a wide variety of
means (such as public meetings, surveys, interviews, virtual engagement, and digital
communications, as relevant to various constituent groups); and
o opportunities for a wide range of constituents to participate in the planning process,
including those in underserved groups/communities. For the purposes of these
guidelines, an underserved group/community includes populations whose
opportunities to experience the arts have been limited relative to factors such as
geography, economic status, ethnicity, or disability. Within this broad definition, RAOs
are asked to specify their own underserved groups/communities.
•
The RAO’s responses to the planning process, including:
o responses to recommendations and priorities identified through the planning process
and/or changing circumstances in the region; and
o processes and metrics used to monitor progress in relation to the regional plan.
•
•
The RAO’s programming, including programs and activities reflected in the plan, and as
relevant, programs and activities with shared state and federal goals and objectives (Folk
and Traditional Arts, Accessibility, and artist-centered engagement through the Regional
Engagement Program). Discussion of programming should include details related to:
o implementation of the arts-related programs and services, and
o related planning, accomplishments, challenges, and/or opportunities.
The RAO’s cost effectiveness and record of growing and diversifying its revenue sources,
specifically from non-federal sources
Review Process
Applications are evaluated according to the Review Criteria for their category. Funding
recommendations are considered by the National Council on the Arts, and are voted on in open
session. The Council makes recommendations to the Chair of the NEA. The Chair reviews the
Council’s recommendations and makes the final decision on all grant awards.
Application Status Updates
Applicants will receive a tentative funding offer or a notice of rejection via email. Refer to the
Application Calendar for expected notification dates. Do not request the status of your
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Application Review & Award Notices
application before the listed notification date. Applicants tentatively recommended for funding
will receive a preliminary congratulatory message, with a request for required project and
budget updates.
Award Notices
Official grant award notification (i.e., a notice of action authorized by the National Endowment
for the Arts’ Grants Management Office) is the only legal and valid confirmation of award. This
can take several months to issue depending on factors such as the number of awards to be
processed, Congressional appropriations level, etc.
All NEA awards are contingent on active SAM registration and compliance with 2 CFR 200,
NEA’s legislation 20 U.S.C. § 954 and 955, along with other federal statutes, regulations, and
executive orders that apply to federal financial assistance awards and established NEA
policies The NEA will not be able to issue an award if you have an expired SAM.gov
registration on September 1 of the fiscal year listed on this funding opportunity, or if the
project is not compliant with applicable statutes, regulations, or executive orders.
Risk Review
All recommended applications undergo a review to evaluate risk posed by the applicant prior to
making a federal award. This may include past performance on grants, ability to meet reporting
deadlines, compliance with terms and conditions, audit findings, etc.
Final Reporting on Previous Awards
Before the NEA issues any award, organizations must have submitted acceptable Final Report
packages by the due date(s) for all NEA grant(s) previously received, and report on funded
activities in accordance with the National Standard for Arts Information Exchange.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Post Award Req & Administration
Post Award Requirements & Administration
Prohibition on Supplanting Non-Federal Funds
Partnership Agreement grants must be used to supplement and not supplant non-federal
funds. For the purposes of these guidelines, the term "supplant non-federal funds" is defined as
using federal dollars to replace non-federal dollars, with the intention or effect of reducing
financial support for an SAA or RAO from non-federal funds.
General Terms & Conditions
Federal government-wide and agency-specific requirements that relate to NEA awards are
highlighted in our General Terms & Conditions (GTC). The GTCs incorporate the adoption of 2
CFR Part 200 by reference. The document also explicitly identifies where the NEA has selected
options offered in the regulation, such as budget waivers and requirements for use of program
income. It also includes requirements for cost share funds, reporting requirements,
amendment processes, and termination actions. Recipients must review, understand, and
comply with these requirements. Failure to comply with the GTCs for an award may result in
termination of an award, and/or returning funds to the NEA, among other consequences.
Implementation of Title 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
This guidance from the federal government's Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
establishes clarity and consistency of the pre- and post-award requirements applicable to
federal financial assistance recipients. Under the authority listed above, the NEA adopts the
OMB Guidance in 2 CFR part 200 under §3255.1 Adoption of 2 CFR Part 200. This part gives
regulatory effect to the OMB guidance, including any updates to it.
Crediting Requirement
Recipients must clearly acknowledge NEA support in their programs and related promotional
material including publications and websites. Acknowledgments should include the NEA logo
wherever possible. In addition, we will provide detailed crediting language for SAAs and RAOs
to use with their own subrecipients.
Project Reporting and Evaluation
When a grant is completed, you must submit a final report and answer questions detailing
all activities conducted under the State Arts Plan or Regional Arts Plan (SAA / RAO Arts Plan)
that was approved as part of your NEA Partnership Agreement grant application and that took
place within the approved period of performance for the award. Before applying, review the
reporting requirements.
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Post Award Req & Administration
Legal Requirements and Assurance of Compliance
The Legal Requirements section on our website provides information about key legal
requirements that may apply to an applicant or recipient. It is not an exhaustive list; more
details may be found in Appendix A of the General Terms & Conditions.
By signing and submitting the application form on Grants.gov, the Applicant certifies that it is in
compliance with the statutes outlined in the Assurance of Compliance and all related National
Endowment for the Arts regulations as well as all applicable executive orders, and that it will
maintain records and submit the reports that are necessary to determine its compliance.
It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you are compliant with all legal, regulatory,
and policy requirements applicable to your award.
For more information, review the Assurance of Compliance FAQ.
Civil Rights
The Office of Civil Rights investigates complaints about compliance with accessibility standards
as well as other federal civil rights statutes. For further information and copies of the
nondiscrimination regulations identified above, contact the Office of Civil Rights at 202-6825454 or civilrights@arts.gov.
Laws Relating to Lobbying (31 U.S.C. 1352)
For organizations applying for more than $100,000 (31 U.S.C. 1352).
The applicant certifies that:
a) It has not and will not use federal appropriated funds or cost share/matching funds to pay
any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any
agency, a member of a National Endowment for the Arts advisory panel or the National
Council on the Arts, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an
employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of or modification to
any federal grant or contract.
b) If it has used or will use any funds other than federal appropriated funds to pay any
person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the individuals specified above,
the applicant:
i) Is not required to disclose that activity if that person is regularly employed by the
applicant. (Regularly employed means working for at least 130 days within the year
immediately preceding the submission of this application.)
ii) Will complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities," if
that person is not regularly employed by the applicant.
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RAO Partnership FY27 Guidelines
Post Award Req & Administration
iii) Will require that the language of this certification be included in the award
documents for all subawards of more than $100,000 and that all subrecipients shall
certify and disclose accordingly.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at an average of 28
hours per response. This includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. We welcome any suggestions that you might have on improving the
Guidelines and making them as easy to use as possible. Send comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to: webmgr@arts.gov, attention: Reporting Burden. Note: Applicants are
not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid U.S.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
ALN No. 45.025
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires TBD
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| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | FY27 RAO Guidelines |
| File Modified | 2025-08-25 |
| File Created | 2025-08-19 |