Open, competitive FY2026 LSTA Round 2; application window ends November 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Grant period expected February 2027 through September 30, 2027. Round 1 accepted applicants are ineligible for this Round 2.
Minnesota MDE FFY2026 LSTA Professional Development Travel Grants – Round 2 (Up to $17,500 per library system; November 6)
Funding$1,500 maximum per staff for in-state event, $3,500 maximum per staff for out-of-state event, $500 maximum per staff for virtual event. No more than 5 staff per applicant or regional library system and $17,500 aggregate per applicant/system. $50,000 statewide pool for 14-25 staff; not an individual award.
DeadlineNovember 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time; complete application must be received by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Last verified2026-10-30
Required next actionCheck eligible Minnesota library employer/fiscal agent and absence of an accepted Round 1 application. Choose an eligible conference or training within February-September 2027; prepare signed application/assurances/narrative in one PDF and separate Excel budget for permissible travel/registration costs. Obtain SWIFT ID and applicable UEI; send to mde.compgrants@state.mn.us by November 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Review posted MDE Q&A, state travel limits and reimbursement conditions.
Broad Eligibility
Controlling RFA addresses Minnesota legally established public libraries, cooperatives/consortia, libraries at public schools/public higher education, and special libraries operated by registered 501(c)(3) organizations. MDE Q&A clarifies individuals, individual libraries, and systems can apply independently with the required Identified Official with Authority (IOwA) signature, and librarians at private 501(c)(3) colleges/universities are eligible. Eligible paid staff serve Minnesota public, school, academic, special or tribal libraries. Prior accepted FFY2026 Round 1 applicants or systems cannot apply again. Minnesota 501(c)(3) may serve as public library fiscal agent.
Atlas Analysis
Verified October 30, 2026 against MDE's FFY2026 Round 2 official program page, ten-page grant instructions, and two-page current question-and-answer document. This is genuine applicant-facing financial assistance for professional development, not government procurement. Statewide $50,000 program pool is distinct from $17,500 applicant/system ceiling for no more than five staff. Per-event per-person ceilings are $1,500 in-state, $3,500 out-of-state and $500 virtual. Eligible Minnesota public, school, academic, special, tribal library staff and qualifying organizations are defined in grant instructions; MDE Q&A expressly permits individual and individual-library applications, with required official approval, and confirms eligibility of private 501(c)(3) college librarians. Reimbursement is available only for allowed expenses incurred after official grant award execution; travel limits and reporting apply. No stated mandatory cost sharing. Submit signed PDF application and separate Excel budget via email by November 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Minnesota FFY2026 Library Services and Technology Act Professional Development Travel Grants, Round 2
Applications are open until November 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. This competitive Minnesota Department of Education award helps paid staff at eligible Minnesota libraries attend professional conferences and training events between February and September 2027. Round 2 is applicant-facing grant financial assistance, not a vendor contract.
Individual awards and program pool
Staff may request reimbursement for up to $1,500 for an in-state event, $3,500 for an out-of-state event, or $500 for a virtual event. A qualifying applicant or regional library system can request funding for up to five staff, to a $17,500 maximum per organization/system. The statewide program has approximately $50,000 total funding for 14 to 25 staff, which is not an individual award. Awards may be below requested amounts. Funding source: federal LSTA Grants to States award LS-260829-OLS-26.
Eligibility
The controlling instructions address legally established Minnesota public libraries, library cooperatives or consortia, libraries at public schools and public colleges or universities, and special libraries operated by Minnesota-registered 501(c)(3) organizations. MDE’s published questions and answers clarify that individuals, individual libraries, and library systems may apply independently, with the authorized organizational signature; librarians at private colleges and universities operated by 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible. Paid staff in public, academic, school, special, and tribal libraries may participate. A Minnesota 501(c)(3) may serve as fiscal agent for a public library. Applicants or regional systems with an accepted Round 1 FY2026 application cannot reapply to Round 2. Priority goes to staff who have never attended a professional conference and staff in libraries serving fewer than 50,000 people.
Eligible expenditures, reimbursement and obligations
Reasonable event registration, lodging, travel-status meals, airfare or mileage, rental cars, baggage, shuttles and parking may qualify, within applicable state travel limits. Awards reimburse eligible expenses only after a fully executed Official Grant Award Notification; expenses incurred before execution are not reimbursable, as confirmed in MDE’s published questions and answers. Grantees must participate in a post-event debrief, share acquired knowledge with Minnesota library colleagues, and submit a final report by September 30, 2027. The controlling notice does not specify a required applicant match percentage.
How to apply
Submit a signed coversheet, assurances and narrative combined in a single PDF, plus a completed separate Excel budget, by email to mde.compgrants@state.mn.us by November 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. SWIFT Supplier ID and UEI are required as applicable. Fax, the MEGS system and Google Docs submissions are not accepted. Review application criteria, expense restrictions and the posted Q&A before filing.
Official MDE Round 2 program page and materials; controlling 10-page instructions. Verified October 30, 2026.
Source verificationOfficial government source · education.mn.govAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-30. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
