Historic Preservation Fund – Semiquincentennial Grants in the US

Deadline: 6-Dec-22

The National Park Service (NPS) has launched the Semiquincentennial Grant Program will support the physical preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources associated with the founding of America as a nation in commemoration of the country’s semiquincentennial (250th anniversary).

Funded projects will preserve National Register listed, State owned, cultural resources related to the founding of the nation. These grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund physical preservation to National Register listed historic properties including buildings, sites, structures, objects, or historic districts. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match, though match may be considered as a competitive factor.

Historic resources supported by this program may include those associated with or that commemorate the political ideas, well-known individuals, pivotal events, or sites of conflict typically thought of in conjunction with this period of American history. Archeological sites, cultural landscapes, and built resources can all successfully illustrate concepts of "nationhood" and "America" ​​regardless of where they are located. Applications involving resources that broadly illustrate the people, places, or events throughout all areas that would eventually become the United States, prior to 1800, are also encouraged. Such resources may reflect what and how people thought and did and lived, and thus illustrate the lifestyles, folkways, foodways, people, places, events,

Goals

The goal of this program is to honor the Semiquincentennial anniversary of the United States by restoring and preserving State owned sites and structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places that tell the story of the founding of the nation.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,000,000
• Award Ceiling: $750,000
• Award Floor: $15,000
• Expected Number of Awards 20
• The NPS anticipates funding between 15 and 25 projects.

Eligible Activities

All project work must involve physical preservation and/or necessary pre-preservation work on National Register listed resources owned by a State (as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act). Further, all work must meet the appropriate Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. Activities related to updating or amending National Register nominations for the subject resource are eligible costs.

Administration costs plus indirect costs necessary to complete and administer the program cannot exceed 25% of total cost (admin and indirect combined). This limitation for the Historic Preservation Fund is by statute, 54 USC 302902.

• Pre-preservation Projects  
  • Pre-preservation projects may include the development of resource-specific architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, studies, and related surveys. Archaeological and architectural surveys that seek only to identify sites associated with this period are not eligible.  
  • Grants for pre-preservation projects will range from $15,000-$75,000 Federal share. Non-Federal match is not required.  
  • Amendments or updates to the National Register nomination for the resource are eligible as grant supported activities if the document is out of date or does not adequately reflect all areas of significance.
• Preservation Projects
  • Preservation projects fund physical preservation of a historic site to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Projects must comply with all applicable laws such as Section 106, Section 110, and NEPA, and execute a preservation memorandum of agreement or easement.  
  • Preservation projects must range from $75,000 to $750,000 in federal share, of which 20% may go toward pre-preservation costs such as architectural or engineering services. Non-Federal match is not required.  
  • The repair and rehabilitation of historic properties must be conducted according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation.

Amendments or updates to the National Register nomination for the resource are eligible as grant supported activities if the document is out of date or does not adequately reflect all areas of significance.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs under this award are as described in this Notice, 2 CFR 200, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual (HPF Manual). For this program they also include:

• Administrative costs necessary to complete and administer the grant requirements;
• Rehabilitation of historic properties;
  • Eligible properties include State owned historic districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects listed in the National Register of Historic Places,
  • All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation,
  • All projects receiving repair assistance must enter into a preservation agreement/covenant/easement/memorandum of understanding,
  • Projects must substantially mitigate the threat and include steps to mitigate future damage, and All properties must be State owned;
• Cost for establishing/administering an easement/covenant/MOA for the property;
• Cost for any required audits or financial requests;
• Cost for the production of a project sign;
• Costs associated with required training or reporting; and
• Any other costs as determined eligible by the NPS in accordance with the OMB circulars, NPS policies, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher
  • Education
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • City or township governments
  • State governments
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • County governments
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
• Eligible applicants are State governments, local governments, nonprofits (including non-profit institutions of higher education), and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations as defined by 54 USC 300300. Grants are not available for sites or collections owned by the NPS. Important note While eligible applicants include the groups identified above, the property (resource) that will be the subject of grant-assisted work must be owned by a State government. For purposes of this program, “State” includes the United States, Territories, Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia.

For more information, visit National Park Service.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343378