VOREC Community Grant Program
VOREC Community Grant Program supports Vermont communities with outdoor recreation planning, design, and promotion projects that strengthen local economies and community well-being.
Funder: Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Due Dates: December 13, 2026 (Pre-application) | February 17, 2027 (Full application, by invitation)
Funding Amounts: $7,500 recommended minimum–$50,000 maximum; $285,000+ available; anticipated implementation July 1, 2027–December 31, 2028
Summary: Supports Vermont outdoor recreation planning, design, and promotion projects that strengthen local economies and community well-being.
Key Information: Applicants with active VCGP grants on December 13, 2026, are ineligible, except entities serving exclusively as fiscal sponsors.
Description
The VOREC Community Grant Program supports community projects that grow local economies through outdoor recreation. Funded by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and administered by the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), the 2027 round focuses on project development and promotion. It supports design, scoping, permitting, and planning needed to unlock future funding, alongside marketing, branding, and information-sharing about outdoor recreation resources and businesses.
Projects may include park designs, accessible trail assessments, regional recreation plans, outdoor curriculum design, recreation marketing, and community wayfinding plans and signs. Work must connect to Move Forward Together Vermont, the statewide outdoor recreation plan, through equity or climate resilience and priority actions for stewardship, wellness, or economic development. The program favors tangible community benefits and outcomes that remain useful after the grant period.
