Nonprofits in Miami-Dade rarely lose grants because the work isn’t strong enough. More often, they miss opportunities because they didn’t see the RFP in time or underestimated how fast a 30–45 day window disappears.
For 2026, you won’t find a perfect, official list of “all Miami-Dade grants due in May.” Most local funders work on rolling or cyclical schedules and don’t publish exact dates far in advance. What you *can* do is build a smart watch list now so you’re ready the moment those windows open.
This guide walks through the key Miami-Dade grant and RFP sources to track, what to expect in 2026, and how to build a practical system so your team isn’t scrambling at the last minute.
Core Miami-Dade Grant & RFP Sources for 2026
1. Miami-Dade County Grants Portal
URL: miamidade.gov/grants
The Miami-Dade County Grants Portal is the county’s central hub for many recurring programs. For nonprofits in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach that serve county residents, this is one of the first places to watch.
Key recurring programs include:
- Mom & Pop Small Business Grant (often relevant if you support microbusinesses or technical assistance)
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs
- Safe in the 305 Grant (community safety and violence prevention)
- High Impact Film Fund
- Cultural Affairs-related opportunities that cross-post here
Timing to watch for 2026:
- Many cycles lean toward spring
- Begin checking January–March 2026
- Download RFAs as soon as they post and skim for eligibility, match requirements, and pre-application meetings
To make this manageable, use a single system where you can bookmark and tag opportunities. A tool like the GrantLens saved grants bookmarking feature can help you track which county programs you’re actively monitoring and which ones you’ve ruled out.
2. Miami-Dade OCED RFP Archive
URL: miamidade.gov/global/management/grants-rfp-archive.page Office: Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED)
The OCED RFP Archive is where Miami-Dade posts competitive RFPs for contracted services. These are often larger, multi-year agreements that can anchor your program budgets if you’re prepared.
Recurring categories include:
- Core Medical and Support Services for People with HIV
- Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiatives
- Environmental Education CBO Funding
- Human & Social Services CBO Funding
Exact 2026 dates aren’t published yet, but these are historically cyclical. That means:
- Expect similar categories to return
- Timelines may shift slightly year to year, but not dramatically
Practical approach:
- Set a monthly reminder starting in late 2025 to check the archive
- When a new RFP posts, immediately note:
- RFP title
- Release date
- Due date
- Required registrations (e.g., vendor registration, insurance, SAM.gov if federal pass-through)
If you’re unsure whether you qualify or how competitive you might be, tools that provide AI eligibility checks and gap analysis can save time. For example, you can paste key requirements into a platform like GrantLens and use the readiness profile and AI check to flag missing registrations, fiscal thresholds, or required experience before you invest staff time.
3. The Children’s Trust: ITNs & Youth Funding
URL: thechildrenstrust.org/partner/grants/grant-opportunities
The Children’s Trust is a Miami-Dade-specific special district and one of the most important youth-serving funders in the county. Their process is structured around ITNs (Invitations to Negotiate), which operate on clear cycles.
Active and upcoming opportunities to watch for 2026 include:
- ITN 2026-01 Innovation Fund (up to $100,000)
- ITN 2026-03 Thrive by 5 QIS Data Infrastructure & Program Evaluation
- ITN 2026-05 Economic Impact Evaluation
- Youth Development Programs Funding (core programs for after-school, summer, and youth enrichment)
How to work with Children’s Trust timelines:
- Subscribe to their funding alerts so you see ITNs the day they post
- When an ITN PDF is released, go straight to the “Timeline” section
- Due dates typically fall 30–60 days after release, which is tight if you’re coordinating partners, MOUs, or new data systems
Because ITNs are detailed and negotiation-based, it helps to draft early. Using an LOI and narrative drafting assistant can speed up your first draft and free your team to focus on strategy. If you’re juggling multiple Children’s Trust opportunities, consider using a tool like the LOI drafting AI workspace to quickly generate section outlines and refine language against the ITN requirements.
4. Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs
URL: miamidadearts.org
For arts, culture, and creative youth development organizations in Miami-Dade, the Department of Cultural Affairs is a central funding source.
Key programs with annual spring cycles include:
- Youth Arts Miami (YAM)
- Cultural Advancement Grants
- International Cultural Partnerships
- Audience Access Grants
One notable date already on the calendar:
- Artist Access Grant Program (ART) has a posted deadline of June 1, 2026
- That means the application window will be open throughout May 2026
Other programs typically follow consistent annual patterns, but dates can shift. The department encourages applicants to:
- Check the website frequently during January–April 2026
- Email culture@miamidade.gov to confirm specific 2026 deadlines
To keep your team aligned, build a shared calendar where you:
- Enter anticipated open/close windows for each Cultural Affairs program
- Add internal deadlines for drafts, board approvals, and support letters
If you’re managing multiple opportunities across arts, youth, and community development, a centralized deadline calendar is critical. Tools like GrantLens let you sync deadlines to your calendar so program and development staff see the same schedule in Outlook or Google Calendar.
5. Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT)
URL: miamidade.gov/global/grants.page
MDEAT focuses on economic development and equity, particularly in historically underserved Black communities in Miami-Dade.
Key 2026 opportunities include:
- Small Business Capitalization Program (around $10,000 per award)
- Black-owned business support grants and related initiatives
Exact 2026 due dates are not yet posted. Instead, MDEAT typically releases an RFA with a clear timeline that often includes a spring deadline.
How to stay ready:
- Check the MDEAT grants page regularly starting January 2026
- Download the current RFA as soon as it’s posted
- Confirm whether your nonprofit can apply directly, serve as a fiscal sponsor, or partner with entrepreneurs
For organizations in Broward or Palm Beach collaborating with Miami-Dade-based partners, this is also an opportunity to formalize cross-county projects.
6. Local Foundations to Watch in 2026
Several local foundations in South Florida serve Miami-Dade organizations but use rolling or cycle-based reviews rather than single annual deadlines.
Key funders include:
- The Miami Foundation – Arts Access Catalyst Grant
- Women’s Fund Miami-Dade – grants supporting women and girls
- Health Foundation of South Florida – rolling health grants
Because these are not always tied to a single due date:
- Check guidelines for review cycles (e.g., quarterly board meetings)
- Note any concept paper or LOI requirements
- Build a plan to approach them strategically, not reactively
Before you invest time, it’s worth checking how well your organization fits a funder’s past patterns. A funder intelligence tool can help you analyze past awardees and trends so you can see which types of organizations, budgets, and program areas they’ve historically supported in Miami-Dade.
Building a Practical Watch List for May 2026 (and Beyond)
Because no single system will ever give you a perfect “all Miami-Dade deadlines in May 2026” list, the goal is to build a repeatable watch process.
Step 1: Create a Core Funder Watch List
Start with the funders and portals above and add them to a single, shared document or tracking tool:
- Miami-Dade County Grants Portal
- Miami-Dade OCED RFP Archive
- The Children’s Trust
- Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs
- MDEAT
- The Miami Foundation
- Women’s Fund Miami-Dade
- Health Foundation of South Florida
For each, log:
- Funder name
- URL
- Typical cycle (spring, rolling, quarterly)
- Program areas relevant to your nonprofit (youth, health, arts, housing, workforce, etc.)
If your team is already using a grant search platform, you can pin or bookmark these funders and programs so they’re easy to revisit. A tool like GrantLens lets you use its funder directory for regional funders to quickly pull up Miami-Dade–focused opportunities and see when they last opened.
Step 2: Set Time-Based Reminders for 2025–2026
Use your calendar (or a shared team calendar) to set recurring reminders tied to real planning windows, not just due dates.
Suggested rhythm:
- October 2025
- Check The Children’s Trust ITNs and Miami-Dade County Grants Portal
- Begin internal conversations about which programs you may pursue in 2026
- January 2026
- Review the OCED RFP Archive for new or upcoming RFPs
- Check Cultural Affairs programs for updated guidelines
- February–May 2026
- Do a monthly re-check of all sources for newly posted deadlines
- Confirm any pre-bid conferences or mandatory technical assistance sessions
This prevents the “surprise” RFP that’s actually been posted for three weeks.
Tracking Each Opportunity: What to Capture
Once you spot a new grant or RFP, don’t just email the link around. Capture consistent information so you can make fast go/no-go decisions.
For each opportunity, log:
- Funder
- Program name
- URL
- Due date and time (including time zone)
- Type
- Procurement/RFP for contracted services
- Direct nonprofit grant
- Match requirement (cash, in-kind, none)
- Eligibility notes (budget thresholds, years of operation, required partnerships)
- Internal owner (who is responsible for the application)
A structured pipeline view makes it easier to see where you’re overcommitted in a given month. If you use a grant management tool, aligning this with features like email alerts and deadline reminders helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks when staff are juggling programs and fundraising.
Narrowing by Sector and Readiness
Not every Miami-Dade opportunity is right for your organization, even if the topic fits.
Filter by Sector
If you know your primary sector, you can narrow your watch list:
- Youth services: Focus on The Children’s Trust, Youth Arts Miami (YAM), and human & social services RFPs
- Health: Track Health Foundation of South Florida, HIV and EHE RFPs, and relevant county health initiatives
- Arts and culture: Prioritize Cultural Affairs programs, Miami Foundation arts grants, and Audience Access opportunities
- Housing and workforce: Watch CDBG-related programs, human services RFPs, and MDEAT initiatives
Check Organizational Readiness Early
Before you commit to a 40–60 page RFP response, confirm:
- Your 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsorship status meets requirements
- You have the necessary audit or financial review history
- Required registrations (e.g., vendor, UEI, SAM.gov for federal pass-through) are complete
- Your program track record matches the scale and scope of the opportunity
A readiness tool that centralizes these checks can prevent last-minute disqualifications. Platforms like GrantLens let you track readiness gaps and auto-verify your nonprofit status, so you know in advance whether you’re positioned to compete.
Putting It All Together for 2026
There may never be a single, official list of “all Miami-Dade grants due in May 2026,” but you don’t actually need one. What you need is:
- A clear list of funders and portals to monitor
- Calendar-based reminders tied to typical release windows
- A consistent tracking system for each new opportunity
- A way to filter by sector and readiness so you focus on the right fits
If you put that structure in place before the end of 2025, your team will be ready when the Miami-Dade County portals, Children’s Trust ITNs, Cultural Affairs programs, MDEAT RFAs, and local foundation cycles open.
To make this easier, you can centralize your Miami-Dade watch list, filter for local opportunities, and keep deadlines synced to your calendar in one place. Explore how GrantLens can help you search and pre-screen Miami-Dade opportunities and stay ahead of 2026 deadlines without constant manual checking.