Pennsylvania State Grants

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

This program is limited to Pennsylvania municipalities designated as financially distressed under Act 47; other applicant types do not qualify. It provides a mix of loan and grant funding along with technical assistance to help these local governments develop and carry out financial recovery plans. Award amounts aren't specified, and the far-off deadline suggests it runs on a rolling, ongoing basis rather than a single competition.

Community & Economic Development · From $500K

The Solar for Schools Program funds solar energy system installation for Pennsylvania schools, including school districts, charter schools, career and technical schools, trade schools, and community colleges, covering equipment purchase, permits, energy storage, and utility interconnection costs. Grants start at a minimum of $500,000, making this a large-award program limited strictly to educational institutions.

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

The Ben Franklin Partners Challenge Grant supports entrepreneurs, start-ups, early-stage companies, investors, higher education institutions, and past Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) alumni companies working on new technology, including clean energy generation, conservation, and transportation. Funding is channeled through Pennsylvania's four regional Ben Franklin Technology Partners for capital access, business expertise, and technology commercialization support. No specific award amount is listed, and eligibility favors technology-focused ventures with an existing BFTP connection.

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit gives Pennsylvania individuals, trusts, and pass-through entities a state tax credit for selling or renting agricultural assets to beginning farmers. This is a tax credit rather than a cash grant, administered jointly with the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Revenue, and no award amount is specified.

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

Despite the name, Pennsylvania First is a loan program, not a grant — it funds investment and job-creation projects for businesses, municipalities, authorities, and other legal entities across the Commonwealth. Eligibility is broad, spanning corporations, partnerships, LLCs, nonprofits, and various local government bodies. No award/loan amount is specified, and financing here must be repaid rather than being free funding.

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit gives Pennsylvania businesses a state tax credit for contributions to approved Scholarship Organizations, Educational Improvement Organizations, or Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Organizations. Only eligible businesses can apply (not individuals or nonprofits directly), and applications follow specific windows tied to prior commitment status. No award dollar cap is specified for the credit itself.

Environmental Protection · $2.5K–$25K

This is for individual Pennsylvania homeowners — owners of owner-occupied single-family homes or buildings with up to four units on a permanent foundation; renters, landlords of non-owner-occupied property, and out-of-state applicants do not qualify. It provides low-cost home energy loans, generally $2,500 to $25,000, through pre-approved contractors for upgrades such as heating, cooling, insulation, EV charging, and smart energy systems. No application deadline is listed.

Environmental Protection · Amount varies

This Pennsylvania program provides cost-share funding to farmers and landowners who enroll land within designated Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) project areas to implement agricultural conservation practices. Applicants must own or control eligible farmland in a designated project area and be able to implement and maintain the required conservation practices; this is a cost-share program, so it is generally not aimed at general nonprofits or businesses outside agriculture. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in this posting.

Environmental Protection · Up to $100K

This is for small businesses located in Pennsylvania across manufacturing, industrial, service, and other sectors; larger companies and businesses outside PA are not eligible. It offers low-interest, fixed-rate loans up to $100,000 for equipment purchases or process changes that reduce waste, pollution, or energy use. No application deadline is listed.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency · Up to $200K

PCCD's Regional Policing Assistance Program funds Pennsylvania municipalities and public or quasi-public bodies representing them to improve regional policing consistency, recruitment, training, and professionalism, with a maximum award of $200,000. It is not open to nonprofits or individuals, and no application deadline is currently listed.

Environmental Protection · Amount varies

Restricted to Pennsylvania municipalities where the Department of Environmental Protection's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program has already deemed a site and is proposing a remedial response; DEP notifies the eligible municipality directly at least six months before the review opportunity opens. Funds cover the cost of an independent technical evaluation of DEP's proposed remedial response, and the award amount is not specified. There is no general application process - only municipalities already notified by DEP for a specific site can apply, so nonprofits, businesses, and the general public are not eligible.

Council on the Arts · Amount varies

Creative Catalyst is a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts program funding new initiatives that support creative workers and industries around asset development, workforce, community development, visibility, or policy. It's open to nonprofits, municipalities, school districts, and other non-arts nonprofits that provide arts programming or services, provided the project has statewide or broad regional reach. Awards go up to $25,000.

Council on the Arts · Amount varies

Pennsylvania nonprofits, municipalities, schools, colleges/universities, school districts, government units, and non-arts nonprofits providing arts programming or services can apply to the Council on the Arts' Creative Innovation & Impact Grant. No award amount, deadline, or further program description is available in this listing, so applicants should check the Council's website for current details.

Environmental Protection · From $5K

This program is limited to local government municipalities in Pennsylvania — businesses, nonprofits, and individuals are not eligible. It provides a revolving loan fund, starting around $5,000, for municipal energy efficiency retrofits, with below-market interest rates that can be bought down to as low as 0%. No maximum award amount or application deadline is listed.

Environmental Protection · Amount varies

GELF is open to a broad range of Pennsylvania applicants — businesses, municipalities, nonprofits, schools, tribal organizations, public agencies, and other legal entities — for projects on commercial, nonprofit, multifamily residential, or community-benefiting properties. It finances energy improvements that lower operating costs, and projects must meet defined energy performance targets and demonstrate community benefit, such as supporting housing affordability or job retention. No specific award amount or application deadline is listed, so applicants should confirm current funding limits with the program.