Do I need to attend a workshop or webinar? Yes, we strongly recommend you attend a workshop or webinar, even if you have received a Cultural Grant in the prior year. Guidelines change each year.
Is the number of awards in each DCA grant category the same each year? No, DCA reserves the right to cancel any grant program, category or discipline competition at any time, subject to the number of qualified proposals and/or availability of City funding.
What is a RAMP number and how do I get one? RAMP stands for Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP) and it is the website through which the City of Los Angeles provides information on all business opportunities with the City of LA. By registering on RAMP, businesses and individuals receive notifications about opportunities specific to their particular expertise. Individual artists who register on RAMP, will able to receive information on future grant and public art opportunities.
If you are a new applicant, go to rampla.org to register to bid for a City of LA business grant or contract. Technical support for RAMP may be requested by emailing bca.eeoe@lacity.org
Sometime thereafter you may receive requests from RAMP to verify your location, the percentage of your workforce that lives in the City of LA, your status as a minority owned/operated business, and your status as a women owned/operated business. We encourage you to respond accurately so that the LA nonprofit arts sector is understood as a significant contributor to equity.
What is a BTRC (Business Tax Registration Certificate) number and how do I get one? All persons who do business with or within the City of Los Angeles, must first file with the Office of Finance (Tax/Permit Division), and obtain from that office a Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC) account number . If you are granted an award, you will be required to obtain one or the other before you can receive any payment from the City of Los Angeles. For further information, call the Office of Finance at (844) 663-4411 or go to http://finance.lacity.org/ for office locations and hours.
What if something important to my application changes after I submit it? You cannot amend your application after it has been submitted. However, you may contact DCA staff and alert them of any pertinent and critical updates in case those changes can be considered if your category’s panel has not already convened. If you are recommended to receive a grant, there will be opportunities during the contract and payment phases for you to clarify information that may affect contract language. All requests for changes or amendments to projects after panel recommendations are considered, but not all will be approved. Incorporating or adopting extreme changes to your project after an award is recommended by a peer panel compromises the integrity of the peer panel review process and may jeopardize your award.
When will I find out if I have received a grant? Applicants who apply to either or both the COLA IMAP and and NEAR Grant Programs in October are notified of their grant results by the following May.
What do I need to know in advance about payment? COLA IMAP grant payments are generally disbursed over four installments, based on the completion of project-specific contract-specified benchmarks. Invoices submitted to DCA may take up to 4-6 weeks to process.
How can I determine in which Council District my host venue organization is located? Where can I learn about each of the City’s Council Districts?
Use the following link for geographic maps of the City: Council district maps.
Use the following link to the City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Information search engine to verify the council district location of a specific address: Neighborhood information link.