FY2027 Cultural Facilities Fund – Systems Replacement Plan Grants
This separate competitive financial-assistance category helps eligible cultural organizations in Massachusetts that own their cultural facility commission a 20-year facility systems assessment. Individual grants range from $8,000 to $14,000, depending on building size. An authorized, preselected third-party contractor reviews structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety systems to estimate remaining service life and replacement costs.
Funder: Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment. This is the Fiscal Year 2027 Cultural Facilities Fund competitive grant round, open October 8, 2026 through December 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Awards are expected in June 2027.
Eligible applicants: Massachusetts 501(c)(3) organizations primarily concerned with arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences whose facilities are accessible to the public; qualifying municipalities owning cultural facilities that meet the state size and cultural-use conditions; and qualifying public or private higher-education institutions with cultural facilities open to the community beyond their educational mission. Fiscal sponsors are not eligible. Municipal facilities normally must be at least 50,000 square feet and at least 50% devoted to cultural purposes, with an exception for qualifying historic facilities at least 125 years old.
Matching funds: A 1:1 secured cash or legally obligated matching contribution is required for every award before an agreement and fund draw. In-kind donations, ordinary pledges, loans, and the listed ineligible state or operating sources do not meet the match. Applicants need not have the match fully in hand when applying; funding deadlines after award differ by category.
How to apply: Review the full FY27 program guidelines, create or access an organization profile in Mass Cultural Council’s grants management system, complete the mandatory Eligibility Quiz for the desired category, and submit the online application and required supporting information by December 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants can generally request only one category per round; the guidelines allow limited combinations for Systems Replacement Plan and qualifying green-building feasibility projects.
Additional eligibility: The applicant must own the facility. The assessment is tailored to facilities up to 50,000 square feet; the grant is determined case by case. The program’s preselected contractor performs the work, not a consultant chosen by the applicant. The 1:1 cash match supports the plan and cannot consist of already spent capital improvements or unrelated planning costs.
Review and application: Evidence of local community need and support, tourism benefits, financial need, cultural eligibility and building ownership is required. Eligible organizations register with the grant system, pass its Eligibility Quiz, complete the Systems Replacement Plan application and submit by the common deadline. A Systems Replacement Plan application may be submitted alongside certain other Cultural Facilities Fund categories when the overall guidelines allow.
Official instructions: https://massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/cultural-facilities-fund/application-process/systems/