Partnership Agreement Grants to State Arts Agencies

The Partnership Agreement grants application review process represents a mutually beneficial relationship between federal and state governments in support of the nation’s cultural infrastructure. Through the annual application and review process, state arts agencies identify and communicate locally-identified priorities to a federal audience. In turn, review of the application helps to inform the NEA’s own programming and priorities in support of state arts agencies.  

Review Criteria

The following criteria are considered in the review of applications:

A. Planning Process

Constituents are involved in the SAA’s planning process, incorporating:

1. Opportunities for a wide range of constituents to participate in the planning process, including those in underserved groups/communities.
2. Constituent engagement through a wide variety of means, such as public meetings, surveys, interviews, virtual engagement, and digital communications, as relevant to various constituent groups.  
3. Responses to recommendations and the priorities identified through the planning process.
4. Processes used to monitor progress in relation to the state plan, including metrics used.

B.  Implementation and Accomplishments

SAA programs, activities, and other accomplishments:

1. Respond to the priorities identified by constituents during the planning process and/or changing circumstances in the state.
2. Leverage public and private partnerships, as appropriate.
3. Engage underserved groups/communities, as determined at the state level.  (See Program Description - Goals and Outcomes for more information on the term “underserved”.)
4. Include plans to support programming in arts education encourage knowledge and skill-building in the arts at all stages of life.
5. Include plans to support stable, outreach-driven programs that are responsive to the state’s diverse folk & traditional arts heritage.