CPA Project - Full Application Instructions

Submission deadline is November 17, 2025.  

1. A Full Application will be accepted ONLY after the Community Preservation Committee has reviewed and approved the Applicant’s CPA Project Eligibility Form and issued a Project Tracking Number for the Applicant to use on the Full Application and in future correspondence.
2. All applicable questions in the Full Application should be answered fully, and answers to the specific question asked should be clear responses. The CPC will consider an application incomplete if requested information is missing. An Application missing critical information could lead to rejection of the application.  
3. Applications will not be accepted until all necessary application materials are received, including both the Full Application and the Appendices via Online Forms.  The date of submission will be noted as the date that all required materials are in the possession of the CPC.
4. Supplemental information which does not directly respond to a specific question, but which the Applicant wishes to include in the submission, may be provided in Appendix O: Additional Materials. Appendix O must be used to submit the complete answer to a question if a complete answer to a given question exceeds the space offered.  
5. Applications to the CPC must be submitted via the CPA Project – Full Application, which is an Online Form available on the Community Preservation Committee Webpage. The CPC will only accept Applications electronically.    
   1. The Full Application must include required Project and Application Information and complete responses to all Questions.  (Questions Not Applicable to your project may be answered with N/A.)  
   2. Please draft all of your responses completely and only upload the answers to questions after you have finalized your responses and are ready to submit the entire Application.  
   3. Answers in the Online Form cannot be saved, except when the completed document has been submitted electronically.  
   4. Be sure to include an email address at the end of the Form in order to receive a copy of your submission, via email. 
6. Submit all required Appendices electronically via the separate CPA Full Application Appendices Electronic Submission Form. It provides for uploading of Appendix documents. 
   1. Use the CPA Full Application Electronic Submission Form to upload Application Appendices files, in Portable Document Format (PDF) or other commonly used file formats.
   2. The CPC encourages Applicants to upload all Appendices as a single document, in the order of the Appendix letters. If it is not practical to include one or more of the Appendices in the combined Appendix Document (such as an environmental study comprising many pages or Architectural Plans) then upload them separately. The PDF with all or most Appendices should be named “CPA25-0xx Appendices”.  If some Appendices are uploaded separately, name the document with “CPA25-0xx Appendix__”, which identifies the Appendix by letter.
   3. Appendices Not Applicable to your project may be answered with N/A.)  
7. Applications will not be accepted until Electronic Submission of all application materials is complete, including both the Electronic Submission of the Full Application, and the separate Electronic Submission of the Appendices.  The date of submission will be noted as the date that both the Electronic Application and the Appendices are in the possession of the CPC.

Additional Application Submission Guidelines

1. To answer Question 1- Project Overview, a clearly defined scope of work for the proposed project to be undertaken with this funding request is required in the first paragraph.   Identify the CPA use category for the project. Include whether the scope of the proposed request is an acquisition project, or a project to create something new, or to preserve, or to rehabilitate or restore an existing resource. Further, the scope should clearly indicate whether FY2026 CPA funding is proposed to be used for planning/design work, construction, or both; or whether the project is a housing services proposal. Proposed use of FY2026 CPA funding and aspects of the project to be paid for with other funding sources should also be clarified. The location of the project site, including the entity with care, custody and control of the site must be clearly identified. 
2. To answer Question 2. of the Full Application regarding Community Benefits and Local Needs, review the Community Preservation Plan. This Plan will provide you with information on community needs and goals.
3. To answer Question 3. of the Full Application regarding Meeting Priorities in the Community Preservation Plan, review the Community Preservation Plan Update. This Plan Update will provide you with information on the CPC’s revised priorities as identified in the General Criteria and CPA Program Criteria. 
4. Existing conditions and restrictions (deed, historic preservation, conservation, or other) must be clearly identified. 
5. Appendix A. Applicant Declaration Signature Page(s) must be hand signed and dated by all Applicants and Co-Applicants. This form will be provided by the CPC Coordinator. The public entity that controls a public site must be either an Applicant or Co-Applicant.
6. Appendix E. Budget Summary Form should be organized by proposed source of funds in the left column. Include design and administrative expenses (architecture, engineering, permitting, closing costs, registering the deed, legal notices, etc.) associated with the project in “Soft Costs”. Projects involving hard “Construction Costs” should include any contingency added to those costs on the Form. Housing Service Projects Only:  Indicate budget for direct financial support under the heading “Study” for purposes of this application. This form will be provided by the CPC Coordinator.
7. Include itemized budget details as well as a detailed explanation of how the budget was derived.   Applicants should obtain professionally prepared estimates on vendor or estimator’s letterhead for the purpose of estimating project costs. If formal estimates are not provided, a well-documented cost estimate must be provided. Include in Appendices F. Cost Estimates and Appendix G. Funding Sources, as appropriate.  
8. Per CPA legislation, city departments and organizations cannot be reimbursed for their general overhead expenses such as staff time, copies, shipping, travel costs, etc. Only expenses directly associated with an eligible CPA activity and not covered under an existing funding source may be included in a project budget as a CPA covered expense. 
9. Supplemental information, such as related or previously funded projects and background information which may be useful for consideration, may be provided in Appendix O.  

Other Project Requirements 

1. City property: If the Applicant is proposing a project on City-owned property, either the Applicant or Co-Applicant must be the public entity that has care, custody, and control of the land. 
2. Public procurement and prevailing wage laws. Refer to the Community Preservation Coalition webpage about procurement requirements for CPA projects and whether procurement requirements might apply. The City’s Procurement Officer in the Finance Department may be able to assist City Departments in determining such requirements. 
3. Appraisals: The City cannot appropriate more than the appraised value to acquire a real property interest. If the requested funds are for acquisition of real property or an interest in it, an independent property appraisal at the Applicant’s expense is required. No funding decisions will be made without an appraisal. 
4. Professional Standards:  Plans, appraisals and other professional reports must be prepared and include the professional stamps of project architects, landscape architects, engineers, or other certified professionals, licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  
5. Historic projects: Applicants of proposed historic-funded activities must refer to the Community Preservation Coalition webpage about Historic projects to ensure the applicant understands the requirement that the planning and execution of CPA funded historic activities must meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties . 
6. Disbursements: All CPA grant funds are provided on a reimbursement basis.  As per Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 41 Section 56, goods and services must be received before grant funds are disbursed.   City departments may submit for reimbursement upon receipt of the goods and/or services, accompanied by an invoice.   Non-city departments (non-profits or private parties) must provide evidence that goods and/or services have been received and provide proof of payment for the goods and/or services to the CPC before being reimbursed.

Questions regarding the CPA Project – Full Application submission should be directed to: 

Heather O’Donnell, CPC Coordinator, 

Framingham CPC, Room 205 

150 Concord St., Framingham, MA 01702 

508-532-5683, hodonnell@framinghamma.gov