Indiana communities are invited to submit a Quick Impact Placemaking (QuIP) grant application to help fund the type of space enhancement and community transformation that sparks community-wide conversation and creativity.

Amount available: $2,500-$5,000 for projects whose costs do not exceed $25,000-$50,000 (grant cannot be for less than 10% of total project cost)

Match required:  minimum 50% of grant award (e.g.:  a $5000 award requires at least $2500 local match for a total project cost of at least $7,500)

Eligibility:  Indiana community groups, organizations, local units of government, and schools (all levels and types) who did not receive QuIP grants in 2017 or 2018

Deadline:  March 8, 2019

Opportunity Information

It is OCRA’s belief that these types of social and built environments should occur at the local level and be community driven. It is the people, places and spaces that make Indiana a great place to live. Placemaking involves a working partnership with local governments, residents, community groups, and organizations as well as business and community agencies. OCRA encourages these projects to be unique to each community and locally inspired.

“This grant allows for communities to be innovative and creative when transforming a gathering place or bring energy to an underutilized community asset,” said Jodi Golden, executive director of OCRA. “Typically taking a lighter, quicker, cheaper approach, these projects, although small in stature, have tremendous impact across a community.”

There are many eligible projects. These dollars should be used to create a small change that spurs conversation and community engagement. The space should in some way be transformed for the better.  Existing and underutilized assets should include a new or additional use. Art should be an overall component of your community transformation and used as an agent of change.

Each applicant must have the legal right or allowance to alter, change, add to any structure or place in the project scope − documentation of ownership or approval of stated activity must be submitted with application-copy of successful bidder registration should be included with the attachments at the end of the application.

Each applicant must be able to serve as a fiscal agent and register with the State as a bidder.  The bidder process necessitates a bank account in the name of the lead applicant or organization.

The most competitive applications will likely demonstrate strong partnership. We strongly encourage youth (students of all ages and recent graduate or graduate age individuals) in the project design and implementation.

Eligible projects examples: (This should not serve as an inclusive list – please be unique)

• Alley activation/ art alley
• Creative project to showcase community identity
• Enhancement of existing or underutilized public assets into a new or usable space
• Interactive life-size games or game sheds for public use
• Pop-up public gathering spots
• Transforming vacant store fronts
• Project-based learning
• Decoration or transformation of vacant store fronts
• Shipping container repurpose

Ineligible projects:

• Administration fees, including grant writing or administration
• Demolition
• Events
• Food, drink or alcohol
• Gaming and/or gambling activities
• Illegal or unsanctioned activities
• One-time use activities or products
• Plants, greenery, shrubs or anything of that nature
• Expansion of previous QuIP awarded projects
• Public restrooms
• Salaries
• Small funding portion of a much larger project – grant amount cannot be less than 10% of total project cost (Ex: request for $5,000 of a $75,000 project would be ineligible)
• Spaces that are not open to the public
• Taxes

Funding:

Grant requests between must be between $2,500 and $5,000 and a local match of 1 to 0.5 is required. For each QuIP dollar requested, the match must be one half dollar. Of that, the match can be either cash, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both.

QUESTIONS?  Visit the grant website and/or contact your Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Liaison