National Park Service grants
10 opportunities
Exploring and Enhancing Outdoor and Heritage Tourism in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
→Goal: Encourage outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism that expands access to and awareness of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and fosters economic development of communities.ObjectivesNPS Chesapeake Gateways is offering this competitive grant opportunity to strengthen a community's ability to offer or enhance outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism that connects visitors and residents to the Chesapeake Bay watershed as detailed in the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998.Through this grant opportunity, NPS Chesapeake Gateways will:Enhance outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.Support projects that link outdoor and heritage tourism to economic impact.Celebrate gateway communities that welcome and invite locals and visitors to explore authentic Chesapeake Gateways Places and stories through outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural experiences.Grant ThemeChesapeake Gateways is a network of places that provide opportunities to explore outdoor recreation and authentic natural, historical, and cultural experiences of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Included in this network are diverse recreational, natural, cultural, historical, and recreational sites, trails, museums, parks, wildlife refuges, interpretive and orientation facilities, and associated programs. These places, and Chesapeake Gateways as a whole, serve as entry points and the key guide for experiencing the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Grant$50KCloses 2026-11-04USSocial ServicesOutdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) Recurring Notice 5 Year
→This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program, administered by the National Park Service (NPS). ORLP provides funding to 1) to acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and 2) to develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. ORLP is a program within the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Program, which provides matching grants to States. ORLP funding is available in addition to traditional LWCF state formula grants and does not affect state apportionments. ORLP projects must be within a Qualifying Area, defined as: an urban area that has a population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or 2 or more adjacent urban areas with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census; or an area administered by a federally recognized Indian Tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Additional requirements under the ORLP program: Matching Requirement - ORLP is dollar for dollar match, meaning it covers up to 50% of all project costs. Applicants are responsible for providing non-federal funds for at least 50% of project costs. Perpetuity Requirement - Projects assisted through ORLP must be maintained and accessible for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. This applies to the assisted park or site in its entirety, not just the area assisted by the grant funds. Alignment with LWCF Law and Policy - As an LWCF program, ORLP projects must align with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. Alignment with National Priorities – Projects must be responsive to Executive and National priorities, including those outlined in Executive Order 14313, "Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission" and Secretarial Order 3442, "Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior."
Grant$15MCloses 2030-11-01USOtherSouthwest Border Resource Protection Program
→The Southwest Border Resource Protection Program (SWBRPP) provides financial assistance to National Park Service (NPS) units, as well as educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and local and state agencies to improve resource stewardship, achieve international cooperation, provide meaningful interpretation and conduct scientific research, which will lead to increased appreciation and understanding of our shared natural and cultural heritage along our international border with Mexico. Several National Parks located along the U.S. border with Mexico have recently experienced serious resource damage due to illegal cross border activities including drug traffickers and undocumented persons traversing the parks. Other national park units within the desert southwest have also experienced impacts to their natural and cultural resources. Thousands of miles of unauthorized roads and trails have been created, major ecological processes and the migration patterns of wildlife have been disrupted, important historic sites have been vandalized, and archaeological sites have been looted. Program funding is available for conducting scientific research and monitoring of species, as well as conservation, interpretation and preservation projects designed to help protect and preserve natural and cultural resources located near or along our international border. Applicants must work with and benefit an NPS unit in the Intermountain Region along the U.S. – Mexico border as well as a protected area in Mexico by addressing cultural or natural resource issues shared by both countries. These parks include Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Big Bend National Park, Amistad National Recreation Area, Palo Alto National Historic Site, Padre Island National Seashore, Saguaro National Park, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Chamizal National Memorial, Coronado National Memorial, and Chiricahua National Monument. Please note that applicants can work with other Intermountain Region parks near the U.S. Mexico Border, or not otherwise listed to support cultural or natural resource issues shared by both countries. The projects and activities will be individually authorized by separate awards, with each project or activity having a separate work plan and budget developed cooperatively between the NPS and the cooperator. Project categories include: Research & MonitoringCultural Resource examples:Identification, research, and evaluation of archeological and historic sitesNational Register of Historic Places nominationsNational Historic Landmark nominationsNatural Resource examples:Wildlife habitat managementInventory and monitoring of invasive plants and animalsImpacts from climate change to endangered speciesAssessments of the effects of border activities on threatened and endangered speciesConservation & PreservationCultural Resource examples:Stabilization, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic structures, archeological sites, trails and landsc
Grant$50KCloses in 5 daysUSEnvironmentReadiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice
→This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for the Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI), administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The purpose of the program is to: 1) provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and 2) promote or support compatible land uses and avoid incompatible development in areas in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, a military installation or military airspace, and/or to maintain or enhance disaster resilience. RARI is a program within the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). State and Local Assistance Program. RARI funding is available in addition to traditional LWCF state formula grants and does not affect state apportionments. RARI operates in partnership with the Department of War (DOW) and seeks to leverage funding across departments to benefit the general public and military communities. RARI is dollar for dollar match, meaning it covers up to 50% of all project costs and applicants are responsible for funding the remaining 50% of project costs. However, for RARI projects, DOW Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) funds are allowable to meet the LWCF Act's cost-share requirement (10 U.S.C. 2684a). Therefore, 100% of project costs could be funded through these two federal programs. To be eligible, proposed projects must: Include a land acquisition component. Be in a Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Partnership Opportunity Area or Sentinel Landscape. Have a Letter of Support from a Military Installation or Range commander.1 Additional LWCF requirements for the RARI program: Perpetuity Requirement - Projects assisted through RARI must be maintained and accessible exclusively for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. This applies to the assisted park or site in its entirety, not just the area assisted by the grant funds. Alignment with LWCF Law and Policy - As an LWCF program, RARI projects must align with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. This includes meeting a priority need or goal identified in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). Alignment with National Priorities – Projects must be responsive to Executive and National priorities, including those outlined in Executive Order 14313, "Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission" and Secretarial Order 3442, "Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior."
Grant$3MCloses 2030-11-30USOtherEnhancing Interpretation at Ford's Theatre
→This is a Notice of Intent only. This Task Agreement is being awarded under Cooperative Agreement P15AC00572 which was already awarded under a competitive process. No applications are being accepted at this time
Grant$601KUSEducationR Package Development and Data Certification for the National Park Service Units of the National Capital Region and the Northeast
→The objective of this Agreement is to advance historic preservation at the local level by establishing a task agreement between the National Park Service and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) to provide training opportunities, promote the Federal Certified Local Government program, and strengthen local preservation commissions by providing bi-annual State Certified Local Government Coordinator Training
Grant$90KUSResearchNational Capital Parks- East Shaw Neighborhood Research Interns
→The Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) for the purpose of hiring four GYF Interns to support the research, programming, and dissemination of knowledge regarding the key African-American figures in National Capital Parks- East.
Grant$38KUSOtherRegional Resource Condition Assessment
→To provide research, technical assistance, and educational opportunities to partners and the national parks in the National Capital Region and Service wide. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the CW CESU Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.
Grant$32KUSEnvironmentFY2026 ABPP - Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant
→Historic battlefields and associated sites of armed conflict are powerful reminders of the shared heritage of all Americans. In an ongoing effort to extend the conservation of natural and cultural resources beyond our park boundaries, the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (NPS ABPP) promotes the preservation and interpretation of these important places. NPS ABPP supports community-driven stewardship of historic resources through four grant opportunities: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Restoration, Battlefield Interpretation, and Battlefield Land Acquisition.NPS ABPP administers Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG) to assist State and local governments, Tribes, and nonprofit organizations with the preservation of eligible Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield lands through acquisition of fee-simple or less-than-fee (easement) interests. Funding for the BLAG program is made available from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and is awarded competitively. Applications are accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis throughout the year. Each grant requires a dollar-for-dollar non-Federal match. Grants are available to acquire interests in eligible Civil War battlefields listed in the Civil War sites Advisory Commission's (CWSAC) Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields (1993) and in the principal battlefields of the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 identified in NPS ABPP"s Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States (2007) (Survey Reports).As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, NPS ABPP encourages projects that promote and expand preservation as well as enhance our understanding of the origins of the United States. NPS ABPP BLAG funds may not be used to acquire land or interests in land within the legislative boundary of a unit of the National Park System. Grant recipients are required to provide for public access and enjoyment of lands or interests in lands acquired with NPS ABPP funds in a manner consistent with the preservation goals of the program. Land acquired with these funds will be subject to the LWCF non-conversion requirements. Grant recipients and their nonprofit partners who acquire an interest in eligible lands must convey a perpetual preservation easement on the land to the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) or to another organization acceptable to the National Park Service and SHPO.
GrantCloses 2026-09-30USOtherResearch Techs
→The objective of this Task Agreement is to support and stimulate work and/or education and training opportunities for young adults through collaborative participation in natural resource research and inventory and monitoring for the parks of the Mojave Desert Network.
GrantUSEducation