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NEMBA Grants

Each year New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) provides financial support through grants to support our partners, community based organizations, and outdoor recreation stewards to support their initiatives. Our NEMBA awarded grants can go to support specific trail projects, programs to support cycling, or creating opportunities for outdoor recreation.

In 2022, with support from the membership and business members of NEMBA, we awarded nearly $40,000 in grants to our partners and the communities within our region.

We're proud to support the like minded organizations that share our mission based goals and are building a better experience for all outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

NEMBA Trail Grants

Have a favorite trail that needs some TLC? Want to build a new one? Each year, NEMBA awards between $4000 and $5000 in grants for projects around New England.

NEMBA grants provide financial support to enable mountain bikers and trail stewardship partners to perform trail projects on public land where mountain biking is allowed. Preference is given to projects that build or improve trails, but all projects will be considered. These grants can be awarded to NEMBA chapters, land managers and non-profit organizations. 

Grant requests can be from $100 to $1500. 

Application Deadlines
April 30 (Awarded May 15th)
September 30 (Awarded October 15th)  

Application Information
The following are required to be included in your application:

  1. Applicant Name, Organization, Email, Phone, Mailing Address
  2. Project Description: Why is the project beneficial and necessary? What trail problems will be addressed?
  3. Budget. Itemize the materials and costs of your project. Be as specific as possible.
  4. Map of where the project is to take place. 
  5. Photos of project location
  6. Letter of Support from the land manager or management agency supporting and approving of your project.

Applications should be emailed to grants@nemba.org as a PDF.

2023 NEMBA Trail Grant Awardees include:

Northwest CT NEMBA

Momentum continues in the Constitution State. The Northwest CT community have grown their trails into some of the best in New England. Next up; an expert downhill trail network working collaboratively with a private land manager where the chapter has built relationships and begun work. This $7,500 grant will go to this build plus trail maintenance on existing trails working with CT DEEP.
 

Central NH NEMBA

The stoke at Great Gaines, NH continues. More trails, more flow, more fun. This grant will provide $10,000 for a machine built flow trail at Great Gaines and $5,000 to design a 5 mile flow trail at Kearsarge State Park in Warren, NH. Off the charts - congrats CNH!
 

Greater Portland NEMBA

GP NEMBA is set to get to work on improving the Lavoie Bike Park in Gorham, ME with a 1 mile beginner and adaptive loop. They'll also add skills areas. They've been awarded a $10,000 grant to help fund this project.

 
Southeast CT NEMBA

The Nathan Hale Ray Middle School in Moodus, CT is getting a makeover from SECT NEMBA with a $5,400 grant. Look out for some new trails, fresh bridges, and all new signage at this killer trail network!


Southcoast NEMBA

One of our newest NEMBA Chapters is off and running. They're set to begin work in the Freetown State Forest with a $6,200 grant that will support them with some epic bridge work. Congrats Southcoast!
 

Central CT NEMBA

Our CT chapters are making an impact throughout the state with Central CT receiving a $4,500 grant to get to work on some much needed bridges at West Rock Ridge State Park!

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Grants

NEMBA is looking to financially support programs that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in cycling. While programs that feature mountain biking would be ideal, we feel that any program supporting cycling is beneficial to the sport as a whole. These grants can be awarded to NEMBA chapters, land managers, non-profit organizations and initiatives created by local groups within New England.

Grant requests can be from $100 to $1000 and will be awarded twice a year. Groups can submit one grant request per application cycle. 

Application Deadlines
December 31 (Awarded February 15)
July 31 (Awarded September 15)  

Application Information
The following are required to be included in your application:

  1. Applicant Name, Organization, Email, Phone, Mailing Address
  2. Detailed description of your initiative: Why is it beneficial and necessary? What issues will be addressed?
  3. Explanation of exactly what the grant funds would be used for and if there is funding support from other areas as well. 
  4. Letter of Recommendation from current participant, or potential future participant of this initiative, supporting your project.

Applications should be emailed to grants@nemba.org as a PDF.

2022 DEI Grant Awardees included:

Hustle Hive- a Boston-area mountain bike team of women and gender expansive cyclists, used the DEI Grant to bring an educational workshop from the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) titled "The Path to Inclusion: An Understanding of Trans and Nonbinary Identities" to the team.

Richmond Mountain Trails- a Vermont-based 501c3 founded in 2017, they build and maintains multi-use trails in and around Richmond to promote community health and wellness, as well as to provide recreational opportunities. They used the grant to create trails for riders on adaptive bikes. 

Hale Education- located in Westwood, MA, partners with Boston Public Schools (BPS) through the Hale Outdoor Learning Adventures (HOLA) and Intrepid Academy at Hale (IAH). By bridging the nature gap among urban youth and offering access to the kinds of specialized, experiential programming usually reserved for more affluent students, both HOLA and IAH mark Hale's conscious steps towards creating a more equitable world. The grant was used to support their mountain bike programs. 

The Red Shed- is the home of the WRWC Bike Education Programs. The goal of the Red Shed is to grow more Woony River Heroes – making biking accessible to kids and families in neighborhoods along the Woony River Greenwayand beyond. The grant was used for parts and supplies for their bike fleet.

NEMBA Signature Trail Grants

NEMBA's Signature Trail Grant Program provides funding for exceptional trail projects spearheaded and executed by a NEMBA Chapter and are limited to the creation of new trails and trail systems. 

Grant requests can be for any amount from $1000 - $10,000. With priority given to applications over $2,500.

Only open to NEMBA chapters, the program's goal is to "get more trails on the ground". NEMBA Regional will communicate with chapters on the timeline and application process for Signature Trail Grants.

Part I (Deadline April 30) - Email a one paragraph project description to
grants@nemba.org. The NEMBA Trail Grants Committee will review your  proposal and may invite you to submit a full grant proposal.

Part II (Deadline May ) - Submit a full grant proposal.  Winners will be announced by the end of May.

Recent Signature Trail Grant projects:

2022- Uxbridge, MA: Blackstone Valley built a Skills Park at the popular West Hill Dam riding area. This will add to the extensive network of trails already there which has been built on the ACOE property. This area hosts a fall MBAS ride and the Skills Park should be open by then. $4,500 awarded. Project managers: Ryan Oliva and Brian Belfer

2022- Franklin, NH: Central NH has built  additional trails on the town's 600 acre Great Gaines Memorial Ski Area. These supplement the five miles of trails already there. The new trails are  machine built downhill/enduro flow trails. $8,500 awarded. Project managers: Kyle Matzke, Matt Bowser

2021- Pomfret, CT: Quiet Corner built an entirely new multi-purpose trail system on Town of Pomfret (CT) land.  The project includes 13+ miles of trails, a skills park, and direct access to the state’s Airline trail. The trail system is designed for novice riders but is fun for advanced riders too. QC NEMBA believes that helping to develop newer riders is critical to the future of their chapter and the sport. $10,000 awarded. Project manager: Serena Dupuis   

2020- Kennebec County, ME: Kennebec Highlands Climbing Trail by Central Maine is an intermediate friendly 1 – 1.25 mile climbing trail in the Kennebec Highlands, one of the largest tracts of land with the most wilderness feel in Central Maine. Our goal is to make it both more approachable to a broader spectrum of riders and to create a loop out of the trail system. This trail adds needed mileage to the existing trail network and create a larger loop that connects to 2 other trails to give riders more options. $10,000 awarded. Project manager: Christopher Riley.