Eligibility and Application Requirements
All material formats including text, images, maps, newspapers, audio, and video are eligible.
Along with the application form, each applicant must include a timeline and budget outlining where and how the funds will be utilized. Based on your project, this can include one or more of the following categories:
- Hardware
- Software
- Staffing
- Training
- Web Design
- Promotion
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Services
Direct compensation and/or fringe benefits for permanent employees are not eligible expenses for the Digitization Project Grants program.
A PDF copy of the application questions asked can be found here. We recommend using this before submitting your grant application through our form.
We recommend that institutions applying for funding receive direct quotes from any vendors, contractors, products, and services required to complete their project. We ask institutions to attach documentation (vendor quote, RFP, etc.) to support their application.
Grant funding is intended to be used for products and services directly related to project activities.
Click here for a sample budget and timeline.
Please reach out to Traci Mark (tmark@metro.org) and Allison Sherrick (asherrick@metro.org) if you have any questions.
Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York (DCMNY)
We strongly encourage recipients to contribute copies of their new digital collections to METRO’s Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York (DCMNY), once the grant period is over.
DCMNY provides free online access to digital collections of libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies located in and around New York City. Participating institutions are located in the following counties of New York State: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Westchester.
For more information about participating in DCMNY, please contact us at repositorysupport@metro.org.
Reporting Requirements
METRO will reimburse selected institutions for all expenses incurred in two phases:
- Phase I: August 4th 2025 through January 16th, 2026
- Phase II: January 16th 2026 through May 29th, 2026
The midterm deadline for participants to submit program outputs will be January 16th, 2026. Final program outputs will be due to METRO by May 29th, 2026. METRO requires the following documentation in order to reimburse selected institutions for their work on Digitization Project Grants:
Phase I (due on Friday, January 16th, 2026):
- A written narrative of work done on the project between August 2025 and January 2026
- An updated budget that details the expenses incurred between August 2025 and January 2026
- Receipts for all expenses incurred during the course of work on the Digitization Project Grant between August 2025 and January 2026
- Invoices from contractors, vendors, or others performing work on an the Digitization Project Grant
- A comprehensive invoice detailing all expenses incurred by grant recipients between August 2025 and January 2026
- A W-9 from the invoicing institution
Phase II (due on Friday, May 29th, 2026):
- A written narrative of work done on the project between January and May
- An updated budget detailing expenses incurred between January and May 2026
- Receipts for all expenses incurred during the course of work on the the Digitization Project Grant incurred between January and May 2026
- Invoices from contractors, vendors, or others performing work on the Digitization Project Grant between January and May 2026
- A comprehensive invoice detailing all expenses incurred by grant recipients between January and May 2026