CITY HALL PLAZA ENGAGEMENT GRANT
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
As the epicenter of the City of Boston, City Hall Plaza is a place where residents, visitors, and newcomers can participate in arts and cultural events. In response to the ongoing impacts of space inequity and the loss of cultural venues across Boston, the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (MOAC) will provide grants to support programs and events at City Hall Plaza.
City Hall Plaza, formerly known as Scollay Square was once a thriving community intersection filled with artists, activists, sports legends, and cultural venues. Following a redevelopment in the 1950s, many people were left without spaces to gather, work, or create. Today, many organizations and artists continue to experience similar impacts contributing to artist displacement and the downsizing of programs that once served communities across the city.
Through the City Hall Plaza Engagement Grant, MOAC aims to highlight culturally responsive programming that uplifts Boston's diverse communities while repositioning City Hall Plaza as a site for creative growth, capacity-building, and civic belonging.
Who can apply?
This fund will support individuals, nonprofit organizations, collectives or fiscally sponsored groups to implement creative activations on Boston City Hall Plaza, with a priority for projects that center communities who have been impacted by long-standing systemic inequities.
When should my proposed program or events take place?
All proposed programs and events should be scheduled to take place between September 1st to December 15th of 2026.
ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicant Eligibility
- Applicants must be an individual, non-profit organization, collective, or fiscally sponsored group working in partnership with community partners.
Program Requirements
- All programming must be located on City Hall Plaza and must be free and open to the public.
- For the 2026 CHP Engagement Grant Program, events and programming must take place between September and December 2026.
- All funds should be budgeted to spend by December 2026.
- Grant recipients will need to report the number of attendees and provide photo/video documentation of their proposed program or event.
- All events held at City Hall Plaza are required to be accessible for persons with disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).The new plaza design integrates accessibility into the foundation of the space and for the first time, all primary entrances to City Hall are universally accessible. All applicants must consider physical and programmatic accessibility in their planning and budgeting process. Additional accommodations are available upon request to any person who requires alternately formatted materials, auxiliary aids, or other accommodations.
- All programs must first obtain approval for their event date from the City of Boston Property Management Department prior to applying for this Grant. Submit your date for approval here.
Selection Criteria
The selection process for the City Hall Plaza Engagement Grant is guided by the following core values:
- Vision: Programming that elevates arts, culture, and/or creative expression
- Commitment to Equity: City Hall Plaza is a space for everyone and we are committed to funding programs that make space for historically underrepresented communities.
- Need for Space: All programs will demonstrate the need for additional cultural spaces in Boston due to the loss of space or inability to afford space.
- Cultural Relevance & Responsiveness: All proposed programs should directly engage with present-day social, cultural, or civic issues that will contribute to the strengthening of Boston’s communities.
- Community partnerships: All programs should center partnerships with community members, artists, and key stakeholders toward a shared vision of uplifting Boston’s arts and culture sector.
- PMD Permit Requirement: All programs must first obtain approval of their event date from the City of Boston Property Management Department prior to applying for this Grant. Submit your date for approval here.
- Location: City Hall Plaza will highlight organizations and artists who are located in the Greater Boston Area, communities residing east I-495 in Massachusetts, and/or national partners who have had a longstanding relationship with Boston communities (reference map).
FUNDING STRUCTURE
The funding is divided into four tiers to include a range of arts and cultural programs or events. The amount of funding allocated to each tier is informed by the budget and scale of the proposed idea. The City Hall Plaza Engagement Grant prioritizes applicants with an annual budget size of less than $100,000 a year. However, we still encourage individuals and organizations with larger annual budgets to apply. If the proposed idea is aligned with the core values of the grant you may still be eligible for a MOAC sponsorship (see grant guidelines for more info on a MOAC sponsorship). In some cases MOAC will make suggestions and offer a recommended amount based on our capacity to fund or sponsor programs. All programs and events funded by the CHP Engagement Grant will be sponsored by MOAC and must be free and open to the public.
Tier One: $15,000 or less | Budgets under $15,000 will fund programmatic costs, such as performing artists fees, photographers/videographers, graphic designers and social media campaigns |
Tier Two: $15,000-$30,000 | Budgets over $15,000 will fund programmatic costs listed in tier one as well as additional partnerships, contractors or production companies during the planning and development stages. |
Tier Three: $30,000-60,000 | Budgets above $30,000 will fund general programming costs listed in tier one as well as production costs of small to medium size festivals, a recurring series of programs, or cultural markets. At this tier we encourage at least one community partnership during the planning, development, or production stages. |
Tier Four $60,000-$100,000 | Budgets above $60,000 will fund programmatic costs of tier three as well as programs that require larger scale production or a standing residency on the plaza with events offered throughout the year. This tier must also include a partnership with a production company as well as individual artists to collaborate during the planning, development, or production stages. No more than two applicants will be awarded grants in Tier Four. |
NEXT STEPS
- The application will close on April 3, 2026 at 5:00pm. No late applications will be accepted. All applications will then be reviewed by the CHP Engagement Grant Review committee.
- Applicants will be notified if they qualify for second round interviews within 30 days after submitting their application.
- During the second round interview we will discuss the following:
- Vision + Program budget
- Staffing & Production
- If awarded the City Hall Plaza Engagement Grant, recipients will need to sign a grant agreement and obtain necessary permits for their program and/or event. The Director of City Hall Plaza Engagement will guide grantees through the permitting process. They will also connect the grantee with the appropriate city departments when necessary.
- If there are any major changes to your programs once awarded, applicants must inform the Director of City Hall Plaza Engagement immediately and allow for at least 30 days to adjust.
- Friday, February 20, 2026 at 11:59 a.m.: Application Launches
- Friday, April 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.: Application Deadline
- April 2026: Second-round interview notifications sent and interviews conducted
- May 2026: Grantees Notified
- June 2026: Grantees and programs are announced
- September 2026: Programming begins
- December, 15 2026: All Grant Funded Activities must be completed
For more information, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions.