Home

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you have further questions not answered below, please contact the National Maritime Heritage Grant Staff by email at maritime_grants@nps.gov.


General Information

What's the purpose of the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program?
The grants program is designed to support various maritime heritage education projects and preservation projects which focus on three broad categories of historic maritime resources:

  • Historic Maritime Properties
  • Maritime Heritage Collections, and
  • Traditional Maritime Skills. 

Federal funds are granted to SHPOs for projects that will occur in each SHPO’s state; the SHPO then makes a subgrant to any successful applicants in their state.

How was the National Maritime Heritage Grant Program (NMHGP) created?
The NMHGP was created with the passage of the National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994 (54 USC 308701-380707). The Program is administered jointly by the National Park Service (NPS), The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), and State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO).

Are the grant funds appropriated money from Congress?
No. The National Maritime Heritage Grants are funded by partial proceeds from the sale and scrapping of obsolete vessels from the National Defense Reserve Fleet. MARAD administers the scrapping program and provides the NPS with funds for the NMHGP through a Memorandum of Agreement

Who can apply for a National Maritime Heritage Grant?
  • Units of local, tribal and state governments to include the 5 US territories, the District of Columbia, and the 3 Freely Associated States of Micronesia.
  • Private nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits are not required to have 501(c)(3) status.
  • Federally owned or managed resources can receive up to 40% of grant funds each year (usually by partnering with a friends group or other private nonprofit).
  Who is not eligible for a National Maritime Heritage Grant? 
  • Individuals are not eligible for National Maritime Heritage Maritime Grant funds.
  • Federal agencies cannot apply for National Maritime Heritage Maritime Grants
 

Why do I have to contact the SHPO before I submit my application?
The most important reason is that the National Maritime Heritage Act requires that all grants are made through SHPO offices—these are the people who will be issuing you the grant money. Because SHPOs will directly administer the day to day oversight of individual grants, it’s essential that they have an idea of the projects the NPS will take under consideration. SHPOs are given a chance to review and comment on all applications from their states, and they are a critical partner in the NPS meeting its Section 106 and National Environmental Policy Act obligations.

My project is preservation in nature. Do I need to have an educational plan?
Yes. Preservation projects will not have education as their main focus, but it’s still required.

The intent of the National Maritime Heritage Act was to promote America’s maritime heritage and make more of the public aware of its critical role in our history. Criteria laid out for grant projects in the Act include: “…the project for which the direct grant or subgrant has the potential for reaching a broad audience with an effective education program based on American maritime history, technology, or the role of maritime endeavors in American culture.” In order to be considered for funding applicants must show how all projects, whether preservation or education in nature, will meet this criterion.


Application Process

Which forms do I have to complete?
All applicants must complete:
  • the National Maritime Heritage Grant Application Form
  • an SF-424
  • an SF-424A

In addition the following forms are required for specific activities:

  • Preservation Projects: All applicants applying for preservation projects must also complete an SF-424C and an SF-424D.
  • Education Projects: All applicants applying for education projects must also complete an SF-424B
  • Lobbying activities: Applicants who’ve either lobbied Congress or paid for a lobbyist on their behalf concerning National Maritime Heritage Grant funds must also fill out an SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form.

Where do I find the required forms?

  • The National Maritime Heritage Grant application form and manual are specific to the National Park Service and are updated for each new grant cycle. The application form and the grant manual will be made available on the Maritime Heritage Grant Program website when a new grant cyle is announced. 
  • The SF-424 family of forms are available at www.grants.gov The SF-424 family will be included as part of your application package when you download the package at grants.gov.

Why do I have to complete the SF-424 forms?
The SF-424 forms are used for all federal assistance programs. They’re essential to record-keeping and responsible management of federal monies. Applications for National Maritime Heritage Grants that don’t have all the required SF-424 forms completed (see the previous question) will not be considered.

How do I submit my application package?
Once you've completed the National Maritime Heritage Grant Application and collected all supporting documents as required by your type of project (see the end of the grant application for details), you’ll attach the application package to the SF-424 and submit it at www.grants.gov.

Page 5 of the main SF-424 form is called “Attachments Form;” this is where you’ll attach the National Maritime Heritage Grant Application and all Supporting Documents such as PDFs with photos, resumes, support letters, or any other documents. Forms SF-424A, SF-424D, and SF-LLL don’t need to be attached here and don’t count toward your 10 document limit.

Can I email the forms to the NPS?
No. The NPS cannot accept applications submitted outside of the www.grants.gov portal. Be sure you're register as a user with www.grants.gov and with www.sam.gov before you’ve completed your National Maritime Heritage Grant application.

What is SAM and what does it have to do with my application?
SAM is the System for Award Management. It’s the system the federal government uses to register organizations wanting to receiving a contract from the U.S. Government. You will not be able to use the grants.gov functions until you have a SAM account. Their website is: www.sam.gov.

Note: Initial registration on SAM can take several weeks, so check your status early. Additionally, SAM registration is only valid for 12 months. If you previously registered with SAM and it’s been longer than 12 months since you registered, you must renew your SAM registration before you’ll be able to use grants.gov.

What if I have technical problems getting the grants.gov system to accept my application?
The NPS cannot address technical problems with the grants.gov system. For help with grants.gov technical issues you may:

How late can I submit my grant application on the closing date for applications?
You have until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date to submit applications. We do not accept late applications.

Note: Don’t wait until you're ready to submit your grant application to check your registration status at SAM.gov or grants.gov. It can take a few weeks for new or renewing registrations to come through, so check early!


Application Review and Notification of Results

When will I know the result of my application?
Exact dates of grant announcements can’t be set in advance. They’re determined by many variables such as the volume of applications received, the timing of committee review, and the finalization of committee recommendations by the Secretary of the Interior. The review process takes several months. Announcements are usually made in late Spring of the year following the close of the application period, but timing is not guaranteed.

How will I know the result of my application?
All applicants, whether they’re selected for funding or not, will be individually notified by the NPS, following the Secretary of the Interior’s finalization of the awards. It’s very important that you include a current point of contact and address in your SF-424, since this will let us know where to send the notification. Public announcements of grantees will be posted on the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program website and in a press release.

If my organization is awarded a grant, how do I access the funds? How long will it take for them to be available?
According to the process laid out in the National Maritime Heritage Act, National Maritime Heritage Grants are made as direct grants to SHPOs by the NPS. The SHPOs then make the funds available, on a reimbursement basis, to successful applicants through a subgrant. After grant awardees are announced, NPS and the SHPO work to get the direct grant agreement in place. This releases the funds into the SHPO’s account.

Note: The timing of funds availability is heavily influenced by the amount of time it takes for the direct grant agreement and the subgrant agreement to be executed. State financial systems vary; please consult with your SHPO representative: https://ncshpo.org/directory/ to discuss the subgrant process.

Can I start work before the funds are available to me?
Any eligible project activities that occur after the start date of the grant agreement between the NPS and the SHPO can be reimbursed. However, you will not be able to request reimbursement for any costs you incur until all the agreements are finalized. Before you start work it’s important for you to ensure that you have funds available to cover any costs that occur before the grant funds are available, that you consult with your SHPO about the timing of the subgrant, and that you also verify how long it will take for grant funds to be available for reimbursement once the SHPO has the funds in its account.

My organization received funds/services/volunteer labor that we plan to use as part of, or as our entire, matching funds requirement. Can I use or pay for it before the agreements are in place?
Only up to a point. Cash or in-kind donations cannot be counted as matching funds if the cash is spent or services have occurred before the award has been made (i.e. before the start date of the grant agreement between the NPS and the SHPO). The NPS is aware that the uncertainty of our award date can make it challenging to determine when the matching funds clock actually starts. In real terms, it’s safe to assume that you can’t count any matching funds spent before you receive the notification that your Maritime Grant application was successful. However,  it’s ok to have cash or commitments of donations before this point, as long as you don’t spend them before the award is made.

 Is there anything I can do to speed the process along?
Yes. Once you receive notification that your application was successful, be sure to follow the Next Steps section in the notification letter, and read our webpage for grant recipients to find important information and forms: https://www.nps.gov/maritime/grants/recipientforms.htm It’s especially important that you provide the SHPO with any materials it requests to any outstanding National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or Section 106 compliance requirements.

My application wasn’t selected for funding. Can I re-apply in the next round?
Yes. As long as there are funds available for Maritime Grant awards, you can re-apply. If your application is unsuccessful, your notification letter will include the comments from the review committee, which should help you revise your proposal if you decide to re-apply. Please also feel free to contact the NPS Maritime Heritage Program staff for assistance at maritime_grants@nps.gov.>