Beautification Grants

Updated: 06/26/2024

District Contacts

Beautification Grant

Thank you for your interest in the FDOT Beautification Grants. Grant funds are allocated by the legislature and budgets are approved by July 1 of each year. HB5001 FY 2025 was signed on June 12, which approved $1M in Highway Beautification Grants.  There is an additional rollover amount from 2023-24 in the amount of $20,615 to be included in available funds. This website will be updated as new information becomes available.

This grant is authorized by Florida Statute 339.2405 and further defined in FDOT Rule 14-40.020.  It is available to State of Florida local governmental entities interested in providing landscaping and irrigation along State transportation facilities. This year the award maximum is $100,000 per applicant.

FDOT will host a webinar (date and time to be determined) - Click here for access to the webinar recorded on 8/3/2023.

Some useful information includes:

• Funds from the grant may be used to purchase and install plant materials, soil amendments and irrigation systems.

• The Applicant will be required to accept all maintenance and utility costs associated with the landscape project in perpetuity through an executed Memorandum of Understanding.

• This is a reimbursement grant, meaning that the project will be completed by the applicant prior to the grant funds being disbursed.

• Landscape projects funded by the Beautification Grant are typically used on FDOT right-of-ways but can in some instances extend onto publicly owned property that is contiguous to and visible from the Department’s right of way.

All completed applications received by Tuesday, October 1, 2024 will be checked for completeness, assembled, and distributed to a panel selected by the Grant Coordinators. A virtual public meeting to discuss all received applications will be held on Tuesday,  October 15, 2024. Details regarding this meeting will be advertised on the Florida Administrative Weekly and on this web page.

After the meeting, each panelist will independently rank each applicant. These rankings are then combined into an overall ranked list of potential awards. The Department Secretary will award grants in the order they appear on the ranked list and in accordance with available funding. Official notice of each grant award will be made by the Department by email to the Applicant named in the grant application.

To accept a grant, an Applicant must send a letter of acceptance by email to the Grant Coordinator within 15 days from the date of receipt of the offer of the award. Funds will be released by the Department when agreements are executed, the project is constructed as per plans approved by the Department, there is written final acceptance by the Department and receipts for grant expenses are reviewed and approved by the Department.

To access the BlackCat GAP website, please use this link.

Grant Forms

Refer to Consolidated Form 650-050-10, Part 1,  and type the form number (650-050) into the "number" box in the top left corner of the form; for a complete list of grant requirements. The consolidated forms ( 650-050-10A, 650-050-10B and 650-050-10C) can be found on the FDOT Forms & Procedures website, and type the form number (650-050) into the "number" box in the top left corner of the form. Please note matching funds are not required, but encouraged.

Please review form 650-050-10C, which will be the signed agreement if the grant is awarded. Applicants DO NOT need to submit form 650-050-10C when applying for a grant.

Examples of illustrative plan proposals are provided here:
Example 1    Example 2     Example 3

Below may be found links to photos of previously awarded and completed projects.