Request for Proposals: Building Local Capacity to Improve Bicycling in Your Community, Mass in Motion Mini-Grants

MassBike is teaming up with WatsonActive to offer grants of up to $1000 to organizations for bike-related activities to support local advocacy and capacity building. Since we understand how stretched everyone is right now, we've extended the deadline by one week, and are now due by Fri, June 5. We're expecting a mix of community organizations to apply, and are asking our members to help spread the word. For more information, please see this short google form Request for Proposals, or by downloading the form HERE. and contact us with any questions or support needed to help fill out the application.

The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) and WatsonActive are pleased to announce mini-grants of up to $1,000 available to Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership Program coalition partners and related organizations throughout the commonwealth. We anticipate a mix of community-based organizations interested in using the funding to build local capacity to improve bicycling and equity in the context of active transportation and recreation, particularly to help overcome challenges presented by COVID-19.

Grants must be awarded by June 30, 2020 but may be spent down until December 31, 2020. Grantees must use the funding to support specific activities aimed at creating conditions to support bicycling, including efforts at community engagement and capacity building for local and regional bicycling advocacy. Technical assistance on the implementation of these mini-grants will be made available by MassBike to funded applicants through periodic check-ins and on an as-needed basis.

Background and Purpose:
The mini-grant program seeks to expand access to bicycling through local capacity building. Community programs, municipal plans, policies, and regulations can have a profound impact on people’s ability to access bicycling by shaping opportunities for physical activity and active living, affecting access to jobs and errands, encouraging active recreation, and influencing access to low-cost transportation for all ages, so it is imperative that local communities have the capacity to engage with policy, systems, and environment change strategies that consider impacts on all residents.

This grant program will support projects that work within the framework of the Five E’s of Bicycle Advocacy: Encouragement, Engineering, Education, Evaluation and Planning, and Enforcement. Each of these categories are viewed through the lens of "Equity and Inclusion," with the goal to increase participation in bicycling for transportation, fitness, and recreation.

Grant applications due on Friday, June 5, 2020 by 5:00 pm