Steps to apply for a Municipal ADA Improvement Grant

Follow the 5 steps to submit a strong grant application

The Massachusetts Office on Disability’s (MOD) Municipal ADA Improvement Grant provides funding to Massachusetts cities and towns to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Applications must be submitted online through our online grant application. Hard copies will not be accepted.

Please review the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant Program information page for background information on eligibility, grant types, the timeline, and scoring criteria. Then, read the 5 steps below thoroughly before beginning your online grant application. There are important tips to help you save time and successfully submit your application.

The FY26 grant application will be open from May 1, 2025 at 9 AM to June 13, 2025 at 5 PM.

Apply for a Municipal ADA Improvement Grant 

1. Gather required documentation.

All required documents must be submitted on the same day your application is submitted.

Planning grant applications must include at the time of submission:

Applications for planning grants require the following four supporting documents at the time of submission. They should be uploaded as attachments in the online grant application.

If you are unable to upload the documents with your online application, email them to Grant Compliance Coordinator Evan George at [e-mail] on the same day your application is submitted.

1. Name and contact information for your Responsible Employee (ADA Coordinator)
   1. This information must be current and submitted via MOD’s Municipal ADA Coordinator Contact Information Form
   2. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of your municipality’s listing on MOD’s public listing of municipal ADA Coordinators, or
      2. A screen shot of the confirmation email you received when you submitted the Municipal ADA Coordinator contact information form
2. Non-discrimination notice and proof of posting
   1. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of the non-discrimination notice posted on your municipality’s website, or
      2. A Word of PDF file with the non-discrimination notice (see this Sample ADA Public Notice for a template)
3. ADA grievance procedure
   1. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of your grievance procedure from your municipality’s website, or
      2. A Word or PDF file of the grievance procedure (see this Sample ADA Grievance Procedure for a template)
4. (If applicable) If you have a self-evaluation and/or transition plan currently, you must attach them to your application.

Project grant applications must include at the time of submission:

Applications for project grants require the following five supporting documents at the time of submission. They should be uploaded as attachments in the online grant application.

If you are unable to upload the documents with your online application (for example, if the file size is too large), email them to Grant Compliance Coordinator Evan George at [e-mail] on the same day your application is submitted.

1. Name and contact information for your municipal ADA Coordinator
   1. This information must be current and submitted via MOD’s Municipal ADA Coordinator Contact Information Form
   2. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of your municipality’s listing on MOD’s public listing of municipal ADA Coordinators, or
      2. A screen shot of the confirmation email you received when you submitted the Municipal ADA Coordinator contact information form
2. Non-discrimination notice and proof of posting
   1. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of the non-discrimination notice posted on your municipality’s website, or
      2. A Word of PDF file with the non-discrimination notice (see this Sample ADA Public Notice for a template)
3. ADA grievance procedure
   1. Include this information in your application by uploading:
      1. A screen shot of your grievance procedure from your municipality’s website, or
      2. A Word or PDF file of the grievance procedure (see this Sample ADA Grievance Procedure for a template)
4. Completed ADA Self-Evaluation
5. Completed ADA Transition Plan

All supplemental documentation referenced in the application, such as RFP's, architectural plans, designs, estimates, letters of recommendation, and any other documentation relevant to the application must be emailed to Evan George at [e-mail] on the same day the application is submitted.

2. Prepare your answers to the application questions in a separate document.

Once you have gathered your supporting documentation, prepare your answers to the grant application questions in a Word or text document. This minimizes the time spent within the application portal and provides you with a copy in case of technical difficulties when completing the application.

Download the practice applications to prepare your answers:

• Planning Grant Practice Application
• Project Grant Practice Application

3. Apply online.

Please thoroughly read through these tips before you begin your online application:

• Note that the application form times out after 40 minutes. If you let the form sit idle for 40 minutes without entering data, you will need to start over as your application will be timed out. Prepare your answers in a separate document (see step 2 above) to avoid losing data.
• Disable any pop-up blockers. Some applicants have had to disable their pop-up blockers, close and restart their browser, or reboot their computers to successfully submit their application. Not following these steps could result in lost data and unsuccessful application submission attempts.
• Click “Upload Attachments” in the application to upload your supporting documentation. You must click “Upload Attachments” before you are able to click “Submit”. Uploading may take a few minutes.
• Be patient when uploading your documents! On the lower left side of the screen, there will be an “Uploading X%” status message. Once it has reached 100%, another status message will appear that says “Waiting to connect to On Base.” A pop-up dialogue box will appear when all of your documents have been successfully uploaded to the On Base grant application system. Click “OK” to close the pop-up box.
• Wait for the confirmation page to appear before closing your browser. This could take up to 2 minutes. Once your application has successfully been submitted, a web page will appear indicating that your application submission was successful. If you do not see this page or receive a confirmation email within 15 minutes, your application was not submitted. You must begin a new application. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Apply for a Municipal ADA Improvement Grant 

4. Review the confirmation email.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, your application was not submitted. Contact Evan George at [e-mail].

You will receive a confirmation email within 15 minutes of submitting your application. Do not reply to the email.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, your application was not submitted. You must begin a new application. Contact Evan George, Grant Compliance Coordinator, at [e-mail] for questions. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Clarifications and corrections will be accepted until the application closes on June 13, 2025. Email them to the Grant Compliance Coordinator. You do not need to complete a new application.

5. Await a response.

After your application is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Grant Selection Committee. The Grant Selection Committee will make their recommendations to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance for approval. Once a final decision has been made, the grant applicant will be notified via email if their application has been approved or denied. We are anticipating being able to make this announcement in the Fall of 2025.

If your grant application is denied, you may request a debriefing with Grant Compliance Coordinator Evan George by emailing him at [e-mail].

The final list of awarded communities will be posted on MOD’s website and COMMBUYS.com

After the grant is awarded

Timeline for invoices

If your grant application is approved, all invoices must be dated by the following time frame:

• After both parties have signed the contract, and
• No later than June 30, 2026.
• Take note of the dates as you plan for your application and any planning/project grant implementation such as getting RFP’s, bids, design plans, vendor selections and estimates prior to applying. Having these documents in place prior to applying will strengthen your score and ease the administration process.

Required documentation for grantees

If awarded, you must provide:

• An IRS Form W-9 for grantees that have not previously received the ADA grant or contract payments from the Commonwealth,
• A listing of signatories who have completed the New Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing (CASL) Form and are authorized to legally bind the grantee, including the designation of a contract manager who will be responsible for management of grant performance

MOD reserves the right to request additional documentation or interaction depending on the grant type awarded:

• Planning Grant: Recipients will be required to submit finalized Self Evaluation and Transition Plans to MOD upon their completion.
• Project Grant: Recipients will be required to allow MOD to conduct a site visit to verify compliance, provide photographs of the before and after of a project, and/or provide additional materials at the request of MOD.

Resources

• Five administrative requirements under Title II of the ADA (see steps 2-6)
• Planning Grant Practice Application
• Project Grant Practice Application

Last updated:	April 29, 2025