Project Information

Bid Title

2026 Library Action Grants

Issuing Agency

State Government of Pennsylvania

Location

Pennsylvania

Published Date

May 22, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 30, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

6100066115

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

General Information
Department for this solicitation:	Procurement
Date Prepared:	05/22/26	Types:	RFA
Advertisement Type:	Service Materials Service & Materials PW Construction Agency Construction Real Estate
Solicitation/Project#:	6100066115	Solicitation/Project Title:	2026 Library Action Grants
Description:	The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) is accepting applications for the 2026 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Action Grants. These grants provide funding of up to $10,000 per project for high-impact initiatives that strengthen library services and create lasting community benefit. These grants support libraries in addressing pressing local needs, deepening partnerships, and building organizational capacity. Grant Announcement, Guidelines, and a preview copy of the Intent to Apply form are attached to this posting. All applicants must submit the Intent to Apply form electronically by June 30th, 2026 in order to be eligible. Questions should be directed to OCL through the links provided in the attached documents. More information can also be found in the LibGuides website: https://pa-gov.libguides.com/c.php?g=1306054&p=9614246

Department Information
Department/Agency:	Department of Education	Delivery Location:
County:	Statewide	Duration:	6 Months

Contact Information
First Name:	Brent	Last Name:	Wallisch
Phone Number: (XXX-XXX-XXXX)	717-783-5731	Email:	brwallisch@pa.gov

Solicitation Information
Bids must be received by the purchasing agency on the Solicitation Due Date no later than the Solicitation Due Time as set forth in the solicitation. Any conflict between the dates and/or times contained in the solicitation itself or its attachments and this advertisement shall be resolved in favor of the solicitation.
Solicitation Start Date:	05/22/26
Solicitation Due Date:	06/30/26	Solicitation Due Time:	12:00 PM
Solicitation Opening Date:	06/30/26	Solicitation Opening Time:	12:01 PM
Opening Location:
No. of Addendums:	0
Amended Date:	05/22/26

Related Solicitation Files

Original Files Action Grants Announcement 05.22.26.pdf Action Grants - Grant Guidelines 05.22.26.pdf Action Grants Intent to Apply Form Questions 05.22.26.pdf

Attachment Preview

Action Grants Announcement

Anticipated Publish Date: May 22, 2026

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) is pleased to announce Action Grants, a six-

month competitive program supporting community-driven services in public, academic,

school, and correctional institution libraries. These grants offer up to $10,000 for high-

impact projects that address local needs, strengthen partnerships, and build library

capacity.

These grants advance OCL’s priority of Libraries as Community Catalyst, supporting

libraries in understanding and responding to community needs through deep engagement,

effective partnerships, and strategic resource sharing. Additional information is available

in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries Five Year Plan.

Projects may include but are not limited to community-focused services, professional

development for library staff, trustees, or volunteers, planning studies, community-

responsive collections, programming supplies and materials, outreach initiatives,

accessibility upgrades, and technology enhancements.

Action Grants Overview:

• Total funds available: $250,000

• Maximum award: Up to $10,000 per application/project

• Grant period: January 2027 – June 2027 (six-month contract period)

• Funding source: Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered by the

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries

Application Requirements and Limits:

• Applications are submitted by legal entities, and each application must represent a

clearly defined and distinct project.

• The maximum request is $10,000 per application.

• All applications will be evaluated through a competitive peer review process

using an established scoring rubric.

• Organizations may submit multiple applications, but should be aware that:

o Each application will be reviewed and scored independently.

o Applications submitted by the same organization will compete against one

another.

o Funding decisions will be based on the relative strength of each application

in comparison to all other submissions.

Eligible institutions include:

• Independent public libraries

• District library centers

• Federated library system member

• Federated library system administrative units

• Public school libraries or media centers

• Private school libraries or media centers

• Academic libraries

• State correctional institution libraries

IMPORTANT:

This year, all applicants must submit the Intent to Apply Form before submitting a full

application. The Intent to Apply form collects essential administrative information so

eligibility can be confirmed early, and routing delays can be reduced. Applications must

be submitted by the legal entity responsible for grant management, using its organizational

identifiers (AUN, UEI, FEIN, and SAP Vendor Number).

Because this is a change from previous years, we encourage interested parties to attend

open office hours with any questions they may have. These will take place on the following

dates; no registration is required.

Action Grants Open Office Hours:

Thursday, May 27, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/293243996975443?p=FlHyS5XG5ecLJKyIPk

Meeting ID: 293 243 996 975 443

Passcode: 9xu9TB7G

Wednesday, June 3, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/289041890930559?p=eF6PFCnHtSpHLbBerz

Meeting ID: 289 041 890 930 559

Passcode: 9mW3xi7H

Applicants who do not submit the Intent to Apply form will not be eligible to apply for a

FY26-27 Action Grant.

Action Grant applications will be available in eGrants on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and will

remain open for one month, closing at noon on July 9, 2026. The Intent to Apply form will

remain open through June 30. Please continue to follow the Compendium

as additional application details will be forthcoming.

Don't forget to review the Checklist for Applying to Grants Compendium article to ensure

you have all the details needed to submit the Intent to Apply form and application

successfully.

Please submit questions to Bureau of Library Development’s Contact Us Form,

selecting “Grants” as the category.

This project is made possible by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the

U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Pennsylvania

Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries.

The Bureau of Library Development (BLD) in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries

supports libraries and library services for Pennsylvanians through the administration of

state and federally funded programs and grant opportunities including LSTA (Library

Services and Technology Act), Library Access, LAMP (Library of Accessible Media for

Pennsylvanians), the Public Library Subsidy, and Keystone Grants for Public Library

Facilities. BLD also provides advisory services, professional development, and continuing

education for library staff at public, school, academic, and special libraries.

The Compendium is BLD’s primary communication channel. If you don’t already

subscribe, please do so to ensure you receive the most up-to-date information.

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