City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester Community Preservation Committee is now accepting applications for eligible projects related to Historic Resources, Open Space and Recreation, and Community Housing for its fall 2026 funding round. 

There is over $7.4M available across the three funding categories. While M.G.L. Chapter 44B defines the eligible use of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, it does not define or restrict eligible applicants to any specific legal entity (e.g. public, private, non-profit, for-profit, individuals) if the project is eligible, advances public benefit, and comply with other applicable laws. For more information on eligibility, scoring criteria, and application tracks, please see the Application Guidance document: https://www.worcesterma.gov/development/document-center/cpa-funding-application-guidance.pdf

The fall 2026 Funding Round is the third round of funding available through the Community Preservation Program. Step one is to fill out the Pre-Application to determine project eligibility under state law. Only projects that have been determined eligible will receive an invitation to continue to Step 2, the Full CPA Application. The purpose of the two-step process is to reduce the time spent on applications for projects that are not eligible.

Fall 2026 pre-applications are rolling until 11 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2026. Pre-applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Applicants will be notified within 10 business days of their determination of eligibility. Upon receiving confirmation of project eligibility, applicants will be given access to the Full CPA Application form. Applicants may reach out to the Community Preservation Program with questions on their application by Nov. 20. The Community Preservation Program cannot guarantee that questions received after Nov. 21 will be answered prior to the pre-application deadline.

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