Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD), FY 2026 | NEAPS2502

Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAPS2502

The Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD), FY 2026 is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) that supports work in the arts with a strong emphasis on city design. The program is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically means the NEA expects to be actively involved during the project period rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The opportunity is listed under the Arts funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 45.024. The funding opportunity number is NEAPS2502, and the formal title is "Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD), FY 2026."

The application is open to a broad range of eligible applicants. Public-sector entities are eligible, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments. Education-related public entities may apply as well, including independent school districts and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility is included, covering federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. The program also allows nonprofit participation, specifically nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status that are not institutions of higher education, along with private institutions of higher education. In practical terms, this eligibility structure suggests the NEA is willing to work with many types of civic, educational, and nonprofit partners that can credibly deliver a national or multi-jurisdictional program focused on design leadership for mayors and city decision-makers.

Funding is structured around a single anticipated award, which indicates the NEA expects to select one organization to carry out the work at a national level rather than distributing multiple smaller awards to many recipients. The maximum award amount (the ceiling) is $540,000, and the opportunity forecasts one award in total. Because it is a cooperative agreement and only one award is expected, the selected applicant will likely serve as the primary operator or managing partner responsible for organizing, coordinating, and delivering the MICD activities in close collaboration with the NEA.

Key administrative dates included in the listing show the opportunity was created on December 4, 2025, and the original application closing date is January 22, 2026. Applicants should treat that deadline as the main cutoff for submission unless an official amendment or extension is issued by the agency. The posted description references "Program Guidelines and Application Instructions," which signals that the core requirements, selection criteria, deliverables, compliance expectations, and submission steps are contained in the official guideline document associated with the opportunity. Anyone planning to apply should expect the guidelines to spell out the intended purpose of MICD for FY 2026, the scope of work the NEA expects under the cooperative agreement, how applications will be evaluated, what attachments or forms must be included, and any conditions tied to federal funding.

In short, this opportunity is a competitively awarded, NEA-administered cooperative agreement to support the Mayors' Institute on City Design for FY 2026, offering up to $540,000 for one awardee, with eligibility spanning governments, eligible tribal entities, qualifying nonprofits, and higher education institutions, and with applications due January 22, 2026.

• The National Endowment for the Arts in the arts sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD), FY 2026" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.024.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-12-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $540,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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