Apex neighborhoods can apply for up to $2,000 for a garden, sign or cleanup from Jan. 19. First they must attend an info session, and the first one is Saturday.
Apex neighborhoods can win up to $2,000 from the town for a project that makes a shared space look better. Applications for the 2027 round open Jan. 19. But a neighborhood can only apply if someone from it has first attended a town information session, and the first of those is Saturday.
The dates and rules are on the town’s Neighborhood Beautification Grant page. The town announced the $2,000 limit in its Oct. 30 notice, and its grant guidelines booklet says the same.
Key dates
| Step | When and where |
|---|---|
| Information session | 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 14, Training Room A (third floor), town offices, 73 Hunter St. |
| Information session | Noon to 1 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 N. Salem St. |
| Information session | 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, online |
| Applications open | Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2027 |
| Applications close | Friday, Feb. 19, 2027 |
Sign up for a session through the link on the grant page. The town says updated guidelines for the 2027 round will be announced soon.
What the money can pay for
The town lists three kinds of project:
- cleanups: a neighborhood or stream cleanup
- community gardens
- public space improvements: an entrance sign, art, landscaping or curb appeal work
Neighborhoods can also propose other beautification ideas.
The grant will not pay for:
- work on private property
- improvements to town or county facilities
- streetlights, speed bumps or traffic monitoring devices
- community newsletters, or equipment and materials for programs
- projects inside gated communities or apartment complexes
- paying back money already spent
Who can apply
Under the town’s rules, the neighborhood must:
- be inside the Apex town limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction, the area just outside the limits where Apex handles zoning
- be signed up with the town’s Neighborhood Registry
- have a bank account in the neighborhood’s name
- show that neighbors were asked about the project and support it
- organize the project itself and line up any contractors
The town pays for the project. It does not run it. The finished work must be on land the association or neighborhood maintains, not land owned by one person, and the neighborhood takes care of it afterward.
How projects are picked
The grant is competitive. The booklet scores applications out of 100 points:
| What is scored | Points |
|---|---|
| Neighbors involved in planning the project | 40 |
| A detailed, reasonable budget | 30 |
| Value and lasting impact on the neighborhood | 20 |
| A plan to keep it going | 10 |
The booklet says the town may give priority to older and “legacy” neighborhoods and to those without a homeowners association. A neighborhood can win only one grant per round and can receive one every other year. Projects that cost more than $2,000 can add their own money.
Winners sign an agreement with the town, send monthly progress reports and must finish within nine months. When the work is done, the town asks for photos and a one-page report on how the project brought neighbors together.
What it means for you
If your neighborhood has an entrance sign that needs fixing, a common area that could use plants or a creek that collects trash, this is a way to get it paid for. The step people miss is the information session. Without one, an application in January will not count.
Questions go to the town’s Community Engagement staff at CommunityEngagement@apexnc.org or 919-249-3400. Our Apex neighborhoods guide describes each part of town.
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