ClosedOpportunity ME-FY26

Museums Empowered (2026)

Institute of Museum and Library Services

At a glance

Museums Empowered (2026) is a closed federal grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The application deadline was March 13, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $5K – $300K, with about 20 awards expected and $4.3M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include others (see notice). Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 45.301 (Museums for America).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Posted: Jan 13, 2026
Close date: Mar 13, 2026
Award floor: $5,000
Award ceiling: $300,000
Est. total funding: $4,299,000
Expected awards: 20
Cost sharing: Required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for program eligibility criteria.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program that supports projects that use professional development and training to generate change and growth within museums of all types and sizes.

Additional information from the agency ↗

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

45.301Museums for AmericaProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 45.301

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$29.9M

FY25

$15.3M

FY26

$28.7M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 45.301. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Institute of Museum and Library Services
imls-museumgrants@imls.gov
202-653-4634

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Museums Empowered (2026)”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Museums Empowered (2026)”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $5k – $300k, total estimated program funding is $4,299,000 and the agency expects to make about 20 awards.

How do I apply for “Museums Empowered (2026)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity ME-FY26), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 45.301