GM on Main Street Grant Program 2025 For Non-profits and Local Governments within Eligible GM Counties

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GM on Main Street Grant Program 2025: Transportation Innovation for Downtowns


The GM on Main Street Grant Program aims to enhance downtowns through transformative and innovative transportation initiatives in communities near GM facilities and in federally recognized tribes within the Main Street network. 

From Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to Sunday, March 2, 2025, five $60,000 grants will be available for Main Streets and other community-building organizations in eligible communities. One of these five grants will be designated for a federally recognized tribe located within the Main Street America network.

The program provides funding for innovative transportation projects that will improve the safety, accessibility, and vibrancy of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. We’re looking for ideas that will make your downtown more walkable, safe, accessible, and attractive for both visitors and residents. Proposals should focus on projects that promote pedestrian safety and traffic calming initiatives to improve quality of life in our Main Streets.

Made possible by General Motors, this grant program prioritizes applications that are transportation-focused, innovative, inclusive, feasible, and replicable or easily scalable for other Main Street programs.
 

HOW TO APPLY 

Review the eligibility and grant criteria to ensure your community meets application requirements. All eligible communities can submit their proposals by completing this application form and reviewing the program terms and conditions. The grant application period will close on Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 11:59pm CT. Applications will be chosen by a review panel and alerted of their award by early April 2025.

Grant recipients will each receive $60,000 to implement their ideas and will have seven months to complete their projects. Recipients will be required to submit progress reports at the three- and six-month mark following the grant disbursement, and a final report will be due just after the full seven-month implementation period. All reports are to be completed using a template provided. Recipients will be required to attend three cohort meetings (to be scheduled with the group of grantees once selected). 

Eligible counties were selected based on their proximity to GM facilities, so only certain counties in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas will be eligible for the program. Eligible tribes include federally recognized tribes within the Main Street network. Click here for a full list of eligible counties and tribes.
 

CRITERIA 

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

  • Transportation-Focus: Proposed idea must be a local transportation-oriented placemaking initiative located in a publicly accessible location in the downtown or commercial district. Transportation-focused placemaking grants should focus on projects that elevate GM’s and MSA’s priorities to promote pedestrian safety and traffic calming initiatives to improve quality of life in our Main Streets. 
  • Innovation: Proposed idea represents innovative, experimental, creative and/​or entrepreneurial approaches to placemaking on Main Street. 
  • Inclusivity and Accessibility: Main Street America believes that Main Streets are for everyone. The proposed idea must consider community needs and intentionally include the local community in project design and execution. 
  • Feasibility: Proposed idea is feasible given grant amount and program timeline. Project must be able to be completed and usable by the public by November 30, 2025. 
  • Replicability: Proposed idea is something that could be modeled and/​or scaled for other Main Street programs to adopt and implement.
     

ELIGIBILITY 

Who can apply?

  • Applicants must be located within an eligible county or be a federally recognized tribe located within the Main Street network. Eligible counties feature or are adjacent to a GM Facility. View the list of eligible counties and Main Street tribal communities. 
  • Applicants must be non-profit organizations or local governments.
  • Applicants may submit up to one (1) application per organization. 
  • Previous GM on Main Street grantees are eligible to apply again for the 2025 grant cycle. Previous GM on Main Street grantees must demonstrate successful completion of their prior grant project in their application. 


 

What types of grant expenses are eligible?

Requested funding must be for a physical transportation-focused project.


 

Eligible Grant Uses: 

  • Construction/​installation supplies and materials 
  • Equipment 
  • Labor costs for construction/​rehabilitation/​installation/​artist fees 
  • Artist’s supplies and fees associated with a community engagement design process (i.e. a mural informed by facilitated community discussions) 
  • Other physical items 
  • One-off event costs/​programming for initial activation of the space 
  • Engineering and architectural plans or fees (up to 20% of $60,000 grant budget) 

Ineligible Grant Uses: 

  • Staff salaries (beyond initial construction/​rehabilitation/​installation labor) 
  • Operational expenses 
  • Reimbursement for projects that are already completed 


TIMELINE 

  • Applications Open on February 4, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CT
  • Applications Close on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CT 
  • Grant Recipients Notified by early April 2025
  • Grant Funds Disbursed to Selected Recipients by May 1, 2025 
  • Project Implementation Period: May 1 – November 30, 2025 
  • Final Grant Reports Due by December 5, 2025
     

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR 

All eligible communities and their Coordinating Programs are invited to join us for an informational webinar on Wednesday, February 5 at 12–1 p.m. CT. A recording of the webinar will be made available on this webpage and sent to all registrants. You can register for the webinar here!

Program Terms & Conditions

Grantee will be required to: 

  • Submit two progress reports and one final report to MSA on the implementation of the projects and their local impact. Note: report form and further instructions will be provided after grantees are selected. For the Final Report, Grantee will report: Local dollars raised or leveraged as a result of the GM On Main Street Grant Program; new partnerships created as a result of the GM On Main Street Grant Program; any replication of their grant-winning ideas in other communities; additional metrics of success
  • Communicate progress status and any questions in a timely manner.
  • Attend two to three GM on Main Grant 2025 virtual grantee cohort meetings, to be scheduled with the cohort once selected.


Non-performance:  

  • Grantees will have until November 30, 2025 to complete their projects.  
  • The GM On Main Street Grant funds will be paid to Grantees upfront and in full upon award.  
  • If a Grantee does not complete its project by November 30, 2025, the completion date may be extended at the sole discretion of Main Street America and General Motors, or Main Street America may request that the Grantee return funds. 
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