Survey and Planning Grants : Planning and Pre-Development Projects

Survey and Planning Grants : Planning and Pre-Development Projects

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development
Amount: US $5,000 - US $20,000
Last Updated: February 07, 2026

Summary

The Survey and Planning Grants program, managed by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for various historic preservation projects. Eligible activities include historic designation reports, municipal preservation planning, and pre-development studies. Applications can be submitted anytime, and grants are awarded during monthly meetings of the Historic Preservation Council. It is essential to contact the funder to discuss project eligibility and funding availability before applying.

Overview

NOTE: Applications can be submitted at any time. Applications are discussed and grants are awarded by theHistoric Preservation Council (HPC), which meets the first  Wednesday of the month. Here are the SFY 2026 meeting dates of the HPC and the deadline for applications to be received in order to be considered for a specific meeting. Please note that submitting your application by the deadline date does not guarantee that it will be placed on the agenda.Please contact funder prior to beginning your application to discuss funding availability and project eligibility/ Planning and Pre-Development Projects Historic Designation Reports Survey and Planning Grants can be used to fund a variety of historic designation reports, including: National Historic Landmark NominationsNational Register of Historic Places NominationsConnecticut State Register of Historic Places NominationsLocal Historic District or Properties ReportsArchaeological Preserves Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports These reports can assist a municipality with integrating historic preservation and a community’s cultural resources into the local planning and design process. Pre-Development Studies Survey and Planning Grants can be used to hire a qualified consultant to complete pre-development studies on historic resources owned by Connecticut 501(c)3 or 501(c)13 nonprofits or municipalities, or if a municipality has a financial interest in the resource. Eligible activities in this program area include the following: Historic Structures ReportsFeasibility or Adaptive Reuse Studies Structural Soundness StudiesCondition Assessment ReportsArchitectural Plans and Specifications Eligible Activities Historic Resources Inventories Historic Resources Inventories create a detailed record of historic buildings, sites, structures, and/or objects within a defined geographical area, or multiple resources related to a theme, throughout the state. These documents are based on archival research, field work, and photography. Historic Designation Reports are completed by an Architectural Historian or a Historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards as published in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61. Archaeological Surveys and Reports The principal objective of an archeological investigation is to identify potentially significant archeological deposits located in a certain area to guide future development projects. The consultant will perform background research to identify archeologically sensitive areas and to establish a context for any archeological resources that may be identified. The investigation will include a subsequent Phase I (reconnaissance) level archeological survey which will provide systematic coverage of the property to locate evidence of archaeological deposits. It is expected that the reconnaissance survey will not only determine the presence of archaeological deposits, such as artifacts, features, and/or structural remnants; but also determine the nature and extent of those deposits by performing shovel tests and excavations as part of the investigation. Intensive-level surveys are generally conducted in order to collect sufficient archaeological data to evaluate the National Register eligibility of an identified site. Archeological surveys shall be conducted by a consultant, as approved by the SHPO, who meets the professional qualifications standards of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as stated in 36 CFR 61 Appendix A for Archeology. All work should be in compliance with our Environmental Review Primer for Connecticut’s Archaeological Resources. Historic Designation Reports Survey and Planning Grants can be used to fund a variety of historic designation reports including: National Historic Landmark NominationsNational Register of Historic Places NominationsConnecticut State Register of Historic Places NominationsLocal Historic District or Properties ReportsArchaeological Preserves Historic Designation Reports are completed by an Architectural Historian or a Historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards as published in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61. Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports Historic Preservation Planning Reports can assist a municipality with integrating historic preservation and a community’s cultural resources into the local planning and design process. These plans can be used to assist in developing reports that involve land use, streetscapes, traffic, and signage. These reports can also be developed to assist a municipality in creating historic preservation plans or chapters of a plan of conservation and development. An analysis of the physical, social, and economic characteristics of the area serves as a basis for recommendations which may include rehabilitation guidelines, overlay zoning, or historic designations. Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports should be completed by a Historic Preservation Planner with municipal planning credentials; however other consultants may be used with approval from SHPO. Pre-Development Studies Survey and Planning Grants can be used to hire a qualified consultant to complete pre-development studies on historic resources owned by Connecticut 501(c)3 or 501(c)13 nonprofits or municipalities, or if a municipality has a financial or development interest in the resource. A “Historic Resource” is defined as a property or site listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places. Reports and studies may require a team of qualified professionals that includes any combination of architect, engineer, architectural historian or landscape architect. Eligible activities in this program area include: Historic Structures Reports- document the history and existing physical condition of a property through research, photographs, physical exploration, etc. The report also provides guidance for the future use, repair,  Survey and Planning Grant Guidelines and Application Instructions maintenance, etc. of the property. These reports are completed by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect or an engineer, or both.Historic Landscape Studies- Historic landscapes can be found in any rural, urban or suburban place. They can be designed or vernacular and include a variety of types including estates, farms, cemeteries, campuses, parks, parkways, conservation areas, or any site that reflects historic cultural activity (human interaction with the land). Eligible studies may include historic landscape inventories, cultural landscape reports, landscape management plans, view shed analyses, and documentations. Historic landscape studies are used to document an existing historic landscape to give us information about its significance and help to safeguard it from sometimes uninformed and irreversible changes. Funding will also support research to produce an historic landscape plan based on a previously existing historic landscape.Feasibility or Adaptive Reuse Studies- analyze the reuse potential of an existing building and identify possible new uses, financial strategies, and cost estimates. A feasibility or adaptive reuse study may include preliminary architectural plans completed by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect.Structural Soundness Studies- assess a structure’s physical stability. Structural Soundness Studies are conducted by a 36 CFR Part 61-Qualified structural engineer or architect, and sometimes may include a landscape architect.Condition Assessment Reports- assess a resource’s current, existing conditions on a comprehensive basis. Condition assessments can be prepared for a variety of resources including buildings, monuments, objects, bridges, etc. A condition assessment will prioritize the work necessary to rehabilitate or restore a property and will also include cost estimates and/or a proposed budget. These reports include a discussion on building materials, failure of those materials, code violations, and ADA accessibility. For reports on buildings, the condition assessment should be prepared by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect and/or engineer.Architectural Plans and Specifications-must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and be prepared by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect. If the applicant is planning on using the plans and specifications for a Historic Restoration Fund grant application, the documents should be prepared to Design Development Level. Funding Grants range from $1,000 to $20,000. SHPO accepts applications on a rolling basis, and all complete applications will be reviewed and considered for funding. If your application is complete, it will be placed on the next available agenda of the Historic Preservation Council, which meets each month.

Eligibility

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