SHPO Historic Preservation Fund Grants OPEN!

Missouri Preservation

An update from our colleagues at the State Historic Preservation Office…

The application portal for Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants for the 2026 federal fiscal year is now open. The SHPO anticipates awarding around $400,000 in the 2026 cycle. Individual awards are generally capped at $50,000, with the exception of one construction award of between $100,000 and $200,000. Our grants can support up to 60% of a project budget, with a 40% match required by the applicant.

Who can apply: All Certified Local Governments (CLGs), all county governmental entities, municipalities, and qualified non-profit organizations with a historic preservation mission are eligible to apply for Historic Preservation Fund grants. Per federal regulations, 10% of the SHPO’s HPF funding will be reserved for CLGs in good standing. Last year, this amount was $123,651.

What we fund:

  • Construction projects for the purpose of protecting, rehabilitating, or restoring historic properties. Eligible properties must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and maintain their historic integrity. Construction projects must also demonstrate that they are not eligible for federal or state historic tax credits. Only one construction project will be awarded in this grant round. (See the SHPO website for specific requirements related to construction funding)
  • Training opportunities for members of historic preservation commissions or CLG city staff members
  • Internships
  • Conferences and workshops related to historic preservation
  • Posters and pamphlets related to historic preservation
  • The creation of Preservation Plans, Design Guidelines, or Historic Contexts
  • Inventory of archival files related to historic preservation
  • Archeological and architectural surveys for the purpose of determining eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. 
  • Nominations to the National Register of Historic Places
  • Documents for publicly-owned, NR-listed buildings, including
    • Historic Structure Reports
    • Maintenance Plans
    • Planning for construction work (designs, feasibility studies)

Deadlines: The required pre-application must be emailed to the SHPO Grants Manager by Friday, February 27, 2026. Final applications must be postmarked or received through the Department of Natural Resources’ Funding Opportunities Portal by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026. New applicants are advised to begin the submission process at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline, as our Funding Opportunities Portal can take up to 48 hours to add a new user.

Application Process: All applications must submit a pre-application by email to the SHPO Grants Manager (andrew.dial@dnr.mo.gov) by Friday, February 27, 2026; final applications will not be considered unless a pre-application has been submitted for the proposed project. The SHPO Grants Manager or their designee will review the pre-application for technical accuracy, budget issues, project goals, eligibility, and feasibility of completion within the timeframe. Applicants can expect to receive comments on their pre-application by Friday, March 27, 2025. Final applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026. They will be scored based on the proposed project’s contribution to priorities listed in Missouri’s Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan and the technical quality of the application. The SHPO will inform applicants of the status of their application when it receives confirmation of its HPF grant from the National Park Service. This normally occurs during the late spring or early summer.

Where to apply: Application forms and instructions are available on the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office website at: https://mostateparks.com/page/state-historic-preservation-office/historic-preservation-fund-grants Please be sure to use the correct instructions with the correct application form that corresponds to your type of project.

Pre-applications and final applications should be submitted through our online Funding Opportunities Portal.  This system allows applicants to submit their applications, track the status of the award, and submit invoices and reports electronically. Applicants will need to request access to the system so they may submit the grant application in the portal.

To request access to the system:

  • Go to the Department’s Funding Opportunity Portal.
  • Under New User, click the Funding Opportunity Portal Access Request link to request an account.
  • Complete the form, being sure to check Historic Preservation in the section “Indicate the program(s) which you are interested in applying for financial assistance.” The applicant may select other options in addition to Historic Preservation.
  • Submit the form. It may take 24-48 hours to process, so portal access should be set up early in the application process. Once processed, applicants will receive an email with login credentials.

If applicants are unable to access the Funding Opportunity Portal, they can email their application to andrew.dial@dnr.mo.gov or mail two copies of the completed application to the address below. Please be aware that our maximum file size is 7MB; therefore, multiple emails may be required.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks
Missouri State Historic Preservation Office
Attn: Preservation Planner/Grant Manager
PO Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176

For assistance: Please contact Andrew Dial, SHPO Preservation Planner/Grants Manager, by phone at 573-751-7958 or by e-mail at andrew.dial@dnr.mo.gov to request FY2025 HPF Grant Pre-Application forms with instructions if you need them in hard copy, if you have difficulty downloading the forms from our website, or if you have any questions about the grant application process. 

There will also be virtual grant application workshops on Wednesday, January 28, for non-construction projects, and Thursday, January 29, for construction projects from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Please email the HPF Grants Manager (Andrew.dial@dnr.mo.gov) for the links. Individual meetings can also be scheduled to discuss projects and applications on an as-needed basis. 

Note: Applicants with multi-phase survey projects can now apply for all phases of the project in the initial application. Funding will be awarded sequentially as each phase is completed. A maximum of five phases can be included in each application.

Note: To qualify for consideration for CLG pass-through grant awards, CLGs must be considered to be in good standing and compliant with all requirements described in the “Guidelines for Participation in Missouri’s Certified Local Government Program”, including maintaining adequate program documentation. This includes timely submission (by November 30) of the annual report for the previous fiscal year, agendas and minutes of all preservation commission meetings held during the last federal fiscal year, and up-to-date resumes for all preservation commission members and City staff liaisons (if petitioning for additional responsibilities).