The Spring 2026 application cycle for APWA’s New Initiatives Program is now open! The New Initiatives Program is a funding opportunity designed to advance innovative ideas that strengthen the public works profession and support APWA’s Strategic Plan. The deadline to submit is April 15, 2026.
Now in its third year, the New Initiatives Program was created to encourage and support members’ entrepreneurial ideas that enhance experiences, products, services, and educational offerings across APWA’s broad stakeholder community.
Previous winners achieved the following thanks to funds provided by the program:
- A Young Professionals (YP) Summit event during 2024’s PWX
- A two-day traveling education program proposed by the Small Cities/Rural Communities Committee
- A new podcast, Inside Infrastructure, hosted by APWA’s San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter
“The New Initiatives Committee strives to help our members bring forward bold, creative concepts that will shape the future of public works,” said Jeffrey Brown, PE, New Initiatives Committee Chair and APWA Finance Committee Representative. “If you have an idea that can elevate our profession—whether through innovation, technology, chapter engagement, education, or any other way—we want to hear from you. I strongly encourage members to apply and share their vision for what’s next.”
Applicants are invited to submit a brief proposal outlining their program idea and operational plan. The committee will evaluate submissions using a 100-point scoring system based on alignment with APWA’s Strategic Plan (50 points), innovation and ingenuity (25 points), and cost and feasibility (25 points).
Award announcements for the Spring cycle will be made by May 21, 2026. To learn more about this program and to submit an application, click here.
