Registration deadline: March 3
Application deadlines: April 1, July 1, September 5

Funding is available for any nonprofit organization or local governmental agency in New York State to engage the services of an architect, or planning, design, or historic preservation professional for a wide variety of planning and design studies. Previously funded projects have included the design of an all new, universally designed live/work facility for an artists' colony; a seven-county regional planning study; urban design and Main Street revitalization studies; open-space planning projects; site-specific architect/artist collaborations; conversion of a former train depot into a regional visitor center; and the development of a graphic sign system for a museum. Jointly sponsored projects and those that actively engage the applicant's community - for example, through a design charrette - are also encouraged.

The Adaptive Use Studies category specifically supports design work that generates creative design solutions to the problem of adapting existing structures to new or expanded cultural uses. Applicants are encouraged to include people with disabilities in the design process. Priority is given to those organizations that have fully examined and clearly understand the impact of a capital project on their operations and that have the ability to raise the funds needed to build, operate and maintain the facility. In addition, the Program is more interested in funding the redesign of the whole facility than in the redesign of a portion of the structure. Applicants requesting support in this category must either own or have a long-term lease on the building under consideration.

New applicants are welcome in these two categories.

Funds awarded in these two categories may cover consultants' fees for the design phases of a project, expenses related to site analysis, program evaluation, schematic design, design development, working drawings, and/or cost-estimating phases of a project.

The Program does not support bid negotiation, construction administration, purchase of real estate or capital construction costs, out-of-state travel, salaries or overhead of public agencies, or student projects. To apply for construction costs, please refer to Capital Projects. Multi-year funding is available for large or phased projects. Applicants must give a rationale for multi-year funding and describe the services to be provided each year.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Required support materials are listed below.

Application Narrative Questions (Design and Planning Studies)

1. Project Overview
Describe the project for which you are requesting support for professional design or planning fees.  

2. Consultant Qualifications
Who is your consultant? What are your consultant's professional qualifications as they relate to the needs of this project?

3. Consultant Selection Process
Briefly describe the recruitment and selection process for this design or planning professional.

4. Consultant's Tasks
What tasks will your design or planning professional perform? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)

5. Consultant's Fees
What is your consultant's fee for this project? What are the billing rates and direct costs? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)

6. Consultant's Schedule and Products
What is the time schedule for your consultant's work? What are the final products? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)   

7. Context
If this is a community planning or design project, how did this planning study evolve? How does this study fit within other planning efforts in the community?

8. Community Engagement
If this is a community project, how will you and your consultant engage members of the community in the design or planning process?

9. Finance
Describe how you will pay for this design or planning study in the event that the Council is unable to fully fund your request.

10. Implementation
Describe plans and identify sources of construction funding to build this project. If this is a community planning project, how will the results of the planning study be implemented?

Support Materials (Design and Planning Studies)

Support materials must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. Professional designer's or planner's resumé (hard copy)

2. A scope of work from the design or planning professional detailing tasks to be performed, billing rates, direct costs, a time schedule and final products. (hard copy)

3. Up to 10 slides or a CD-ROM of the project site or community with descriptive information. (Powerpoint preferred)

4. Up to 15 slides or a CD-ROM of your designer's previous completed related work with a brief script or planning documents from your planner illustrating similar projects. (Powerpoint preferred)

5. Letters of support from other organizations or agencies whose cooperation is necessary for the implementation of the work, if appropriate

Application Narrative Questions (Adaptive Use Studies)

1. Project Overview
Describe the project for which you are requesting support for professional design fees.

2. Mission
How does this project fit within or support the mission of the organization?

3. Consultant Qualifications
Who is your architect for this project? What are your architect's academic and professional qualifications? How do they relate to the needs of this project?

4. Consultant Selection Process
Briefly describe the recruitment and selection process for your architect.

5. Consultant's Tasks
What tasks will your architect perform? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)

6. Consultant's Fees
What is your architect's fee for this project? What are the billing rates and direct costs? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)

7. Consultant's Schedule and Products
What is the time schedule for your architect's work? What are the final products? (Copy this from your consultant's scope of work.)

8. Finance
Describe how you will pay for this adaptive use study in the event that the Council is unable to fully fund your request.

9. Capital Fundraising
Describe plans and identify sources of construction funding to build this project.

10. Operations
What are the plans for meeting the increased costs of operating the expanded/renovated facility?

Support Materials (Adaptive Use Studies)

Support materials must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. Architect's resumé (hard copy)

2. A scope of work from your architect detailing tasks to be performed, billing rate, direct costs, time schedule and final products. (hard copy)

3. Up to 10 slides or CD-ROM of your existing facility with a brief script. (Powerpoint preferred)

4. Up to 15 slides or CD-ROM of your architect's previously completed, related work with a brief script. (Powerpoing preferred)