The Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) program encourages and supports planning and revitalization for local municipalities in Vermont. Awarded annually and administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, the MPG program works to strengthen Vermont by funding local planning initiatives that support statewide planning goals. Since 1998, the MPG program has provided over $14 million to 237 cities and towns across Vermont to help breathe new life into communities, plan for future growth and development, and improve the quality of life. See our MPG Program Overview and Case Study for more information.
Applying for a Grant
In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024), municipalities may submit applications for Municipal Planning Grants of up to $30,000 for individual municipalities and $45,000 for group (consortium) applications. All applications are required to provide a minimum cash match of 10%.
MPG projects must be completed within 24 months.
• September 1, 2023: Online application opens
• September 30, 2023: Deadline for RPC confirmation of municipal planning process
• November 1, 2023: Application deadline, 6 p.m.
• November 2023: Award decisions
• December 1, 2023: Start of grant term
• December 2, 2024: Mid-project report due
• November 30, 2025: End of grant term; Project is complete and all funds spent
• December 31, 2025: Final report and products submitted
Additional Funding for Zoning/Subdivision Bylaw Modernization
Local and statewide leaders increasingly recognize the need to grow housing opportunity, and Act 74 of 2023 makes funding available for bylaw modernization. These funds will be available to support municipal bylaw modernization amendments in FY24 to expand opportunities for housing, confront the State’s housing crisis, and ready communities for historic investments in housing development. Applications will be due November 1, at the same time as for the Municipal Planning Grant applications, although they will not be submitted through the GEARS system, but rather through a PDF application process. Stay tuned for more information in early August.
FY23 Awards
Information about the previous round of grant recipients can be found in our list of FY23 Municipal Planning Grant Recipients. For information about previously funded grants see the complete list of projects funded since 1998.
Administering an Awarded Grant
Resources for current grantees including important dates, requisition, amendment, and closeout instructions are available on the Grant Administrators Page.
In 2023, we asked members of the planning community from across Vermont to fill out a survey about Community Planning, the Municipal Planning Grant Program, and the Bylaw Modernization Grant Program. This is the summary of findings and full results.