Oklahoma Route 66 Grant Opens
The Oklahoma Route 66 Commission has announced that that their statewide grant program will start accepting applications on December 15th, 2023.
Back in May of 2022, the Oklahoma Legislature passed H.B. 4457, which established a new Oklahoma Route 66 Commission (separate from the Centennial Commission) with a revolving fund of $6.6 million per year through the Centennial of Route 66 in 2026.
The funds were to become available on June 1, 2023, but the rules governing the dispersal of that money were not passed as required in the 2023 legislative session. The nine person commission has been meeting regularly, approving rules earlier this year. Although those rules do still need to be formally approved by the legislature when they reconvene in 2024, the Commission will be taking applications early so that the money can be dispersed as soon as possible.
We are very happy to announce that the first grant cycle is now open! Applications will be accepted through February 2nd with a planned award date in April, pending the aforementioned legislative approval. Another grant cycle will open in 2024 with the plan to have two cycles per year as funds allow.
Applications can be made by municipalities, counties, non-profit organizations, and government entities. Awarded grants have a minimum amount of $25,000 and a maximum amount of $2 million. Projects must support historic preservation or economic development within communities along Historic Route 66.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the state organization helping administer the grant, held an online webinar on December 13th. A replay of that call will be made available on the Grant website soon.
More information, including the detailed rules and how submissions will be judged by the Commission, are available at https://www.okcommerce.gov/community-development/oklahoma-route-66/. All applicants will need to be registered through the Oklahoma Supplier Portal.
