PLCB Accepting Applications for Grants to Reduce Underage and Dangerous Drinking | Liquor Control Board | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg - The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is now accepting applications for grants to fund programs that discourage and reduce underage and dangerous drinking and promote a message of responsible alcohol consumption by those of legal drinking age.

Eligible applicants for the Reducing Underage and Dangerous Drinking (RUDD) grants include Pennsylvania school districts and institutions of higher education (including technical, trade, and post-secondary establishments), community organizations, municipal police departments, municipal officials/representatives, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

The deadline to apply for grants is 5:00 PM Friday, March 20. The grant application link and guidelines for submission are available on the grants page of the PLCB website.

The grant cycle is for two years, from July 2026 through June 2028. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis with a maximum award of $25,000 per year and cumulative award of no more than $50,000 per two-year grant cycle, per eligible applicant. Applications will be evaluated by the PLCB's Bureau of Alcohol Education, with awards made subject to availability of funds.

The PLCB has awarded nearly $25 million in RUDD grants since inception of the program in 1999. Examples of funded initiatives include increased underage police patrols and enhanced law enforcement initiatives, MADD's Power of Parents campaigns, college alcohol assessment surveys, and peer education and training programs.

Grant applications are limited to one per organization, school, municipality, or institution of higher education.

The PLCB works to educate the public about the risks of underage and dangerous drinking through a variety of other avenues throughout the year, by:

• Providing millions of dollars in alcohol education grants to schools, law enforcement, and community organizations
• Offering Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP) training and resources to licensees to promote responsible alcohol service
• Hosting an annual alcohol education conference for partners in prevention
• Providing training and technical assistance to law enforcement and other organizations working to address the issues related to irresponsible consumption
• Supporting collegiate student leadership and youth prevention initiatives
• Supplying prevention materials for parents, educators, and community groups
• Working closely with local partners to address dangerous and underage drinking

This work has earned significant statewide recognition. The bureau recently received the Mary Ann Bowman Prevention Award from the Pennsylvania DUI Association, honoring the PLCB's leadership and unwavering commitment to prevention, responsibility, and community safety.

Over nine decades, the PLCB has evolved from a system created to restrict access to alcohol into an organization centered on connection, service, and public good. As a statewide retailer and regulator, the PLCB works to support economic growth and reinvest in programs that keep people safe and benefit Pennsylvania's communities.

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 560 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores statewide, and licenses more than 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. The PLCB reinvests in the state's economy by returning taxes and profits - nearly $23.5 billion since the agency's inception - to Pennsylvania's General Fund, financing Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety and community initiatives. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state.

For more information about the PLCB, visit pa.gov/lcb.

MEDIA CONTACT: Shawn M. Kelly, 717.303.8522

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