Registration deadline: January 22, 2010
Application deadline: April 12, 2010

Equipment is generally defined as any physical item that is not fixed in place and is depreciable, is widely available, and generally not made to order. Examples of equipment or fixtures include equipment to improve access for people with disabilities, such as infrared or FM listening systems, and large-type and Braille printers.

Note: Applications in this category go directly to panel and are not subject to staff review.

Funding also supports the purchase of facility-related items that are essential to the production of a particular art form, such as theatrical lighting or sound systems, theatre seats, 35mm projectors, gallery lighting, collections storage systems, and fire curtains. Stage rigging, wheelchair lifts and elevators are supportable as a construction expense in the Capital Grant category.

Examples of ineligible equipment requests include: nondepreciable audiovisual equipment, office furniture, shelving, stackable chairs, computers and software, and telephones.

The Council will award up to 50% of the costs of equipment purchase and installation. The maximum grant is $50,000; the minimum grant is $7,500. Organizations may not include other New York State funds in their project budgets. Project budgets may include in-kind goods and services.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Required support materials are listed below. Please use the budget notes section to explain the various income and expense items.

Application Narrative Questions

Artistic/Programmatic

1. Facility Use
Describe the program activities and services that will make use of the capital equipment purchased with the grant. 

2. Project History and Current Space Status
Establish the need for this equipment purchase project and, if applicable, explain the planning process that helped define this need. Describe how the equipment acquisition will improve your operations.

3. Description of Equipment to be Purchased
Describe the equipment to be purchased and explain why the requested equipment was chosen and whether it has been used or tested in the facility prior to purchase.

4. Consultant's Qualifications
If applicable, briefly describe your consultant's qualifications as they relate to the equipment purchase for which support is requested. 

Managerial/Fiscal

5. Project Manager
Who will manage this project, someone on your staff or an outside consultant? Please describe their relevant experience.

6. Capital Campaign
Describe how you will raise the funds necessary to complete the project. If this purchase is part of a capital construction project, describe the overall plan. What is your fundraising goal?  How does your plan fit into the new economic realities?  Identify any fundraising consultants used for either the planning or implementation stages of the campaign. 

7. Maintenance
If appropriate, describe the ability of the organization to maintain the equipment after purchase and installation.

8. Sustainability
Describe how this project will make your facility more environmentally and economically sustainable.

9. Certified Minority & Women-owned Contractors
Describe efforts made to obtain estimates from certified minority and/or women-owned vendors.

Service to the Public

10. Audience and Communities Served
How will this project affect the audience and communities served by your organization?

11. Facility and Program Accessibility
Describe how this equipment acquisition will address accessibility for people with disabilities.  

Support Materials

Site Control documents
A copy of documents reflecting the organization's ownership (deed) or control of the property (lease) is due at the registration deadline in January. If the organization owns its building and has applied to Capital Projects since 2001, it does not need to submit the title/deed to the facility

The following 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. Equipment brochures

2. At least two contractors' written estimates or purchase orders for equipment described above. Estimates must be comparable with equipment components listed separately.

3. Estimate summary form: summary of contractors' estimates.

4. Capital budget summary form: Spreadsheet containing organization's total capital contributions or grants and expenses for the request year and two previous fiscal years.

5. Letter from an appropriate consultant stating the useful life of the proposed equipment based on the New York State Finance Law.

6. Most recently completed financial statement, preferably an audited statement.

7. Feasibility study, business plan and capital campaign plan for the project, if applicable.

8. Up to 30 images on a CD-ROM, with a script, providing a "virtual tour" of the entire facility and programs where the equipment will be used.