SHPO Application Information

Important Updates for SHPO Annual Formula Grants

Apportionment Formula Updates

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (PL 117-328) directed NPS to implement updates to the apportionment formula effective in federal fiscal year 2023.

Three-Year Cycle for Formula Grants

For federal fiscal year 2023 annual formula grants, SHPOs may at their option have three years to expend grant funds. This means that the prime award (the grant between NPS and your state) will end in 2025. SHPOs may choose to continue on a two-year cycle and complete their grant early. Project descriptions and periods of performance for in-house or subgrant projects should correspond, as appropriate, to the 2 or 3 year period of performance for the prime award.

Important Links

• Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual
• SHPO Formula Grants
• DUNS to UEI Transition Information

Applying for Annual Formula Historic Preservation Fund Grants

This funding program supports the operation of State Historic Preservation Offices across the United States within allowable program areas described in the National Historic Preservation Act. Where relevant, staff and projects must comply with the appropriate Secretary of the Interior's Standards.

The purposes of this program are to provide matching grants to states for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties by such means as:

• survey
• planning
• technical assistance
• development
• Federal tax incentives for historic properties
• expansion of the National Register of Historic Places
• assistance to Federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals

Awards under this grant program must comply with and support 54 USC 301 et seq., commonly known as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

Apportionment of Funding

Each year, Congress appropriates money from the Historic Preservation Fund to be divided among State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs). This division is made according to an apportionment formula. For SHPOs, funding is divided between the 50 states, 5 territories, 3 Freely Associated States of Micronesia, and the District of Columbia. Most SHPOs are required by statute to match their awarded funding with matching share in a ratio of 60% federal to 40% non-federal match.

Updates to the Apportionment Formula

The FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328) provided a total of $62.15 million for SHPOs and the explanatory statement from the joint appropriations committee that accompanies the bill stated that the appropriation “shall be allocated consistent with the newly updated apportionment formula.” This meant that the changes to the apportionment formula that were released by NPS in July 2022 were implemented beginning with the FY2023 grants, consistent with Congress’ direction.

Three-Year Grant Cycle

Grants awarded under the FY2023 apportionment have a start date of October 1, 2022, (regardless of when the grant was awarded) and an end date of September 30, 2025. SHPOs may use FY2023 HPF funds to cover expenses incurred at any time during this period. SHPOs may also choose to continue on a two-year cycle and complete their grant early.

Fiscal Year 2023 Apportionment Planning Numbers

Arrangement of federal and matching share by jurisdiction

SHPO	Total Award	Match

Download This Dataset

Getting Ready to Apply

Before beginning the application process, make sure that authorized staff in your office have established usernames and passwords for the following systems:

• HPF Online
• Grants.gov
• GrantSolutions
• FSRS.gov (the reporting system for sub-grants larger than $30,000)
• ASAP.gov

Other items to check:

• Do you have an approved comprehensive statewide preservation plan?
  • If necessary, request an extension. Do not allow plan to lapse.
• Is your office's current signature authority on file for both SHPOs and Deputy SHPOs?
  • Contact your grant manager for information on how and to whom to submit this information. Remember, SHPO certification must come from the governor of your state or territory, president of your country, or mayor for Washington, DC.

How do I Find the Application?

Full, complete application instructions are posted on grants.gov, the government wide database for financial assistance opportunities. You can search for the application (called an "opportunity") on grants.gov using keywords like "Historic Preservation Fund" or other search terms.

In addition to searching by keywords on grants.gov, you can also search by the Assistance Listing 15.904. Assistance Listings were previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number.

Once you have located the opportunity, carefully review all information, paying particular attention to documents under the "Related Documents" tab. This tab will contain the full announcement, also called the "Notice of Funding Opportunity" that you should read first before proceeding. Once you have read the announcement and are ready to apply, click the red Apply button on the opportunity page.

Funding Opportunity Number versus Grant Number

Funding opportunities from the National Park Service are numbered according to the following formula:

P for "National Park Service" + last two digits of the Federal fiscal year in which the opportunity is posted + AS + a five-digit number.

Example: P20AS00020

Grant numbers from the National Park Service are numbered according to the following formula:

P for "National Park Service" + last two digits of the Federal fiscal year in which the opportunity is posted + AF + a five-digit number.

Example: P18AF98765

What is the Application Process?

Applications must be submitted through grants.gov by the date and time specified in the opportunity announcement. In addition to materials via grants.gov, applicants must also submit information in HPF Online. A complete application will consist of all required forms in grants.gov and projected accomplishments in HPF Online. Detailed instructions for completing the application are found in the notice of funding opportunity posted on grants.gov.

After all required elements are submitted, NPS staff will review them. Your office will then be issued a grant agreement and funding will be transferred into an account in ASAP. You will use ASAP to draw down funding as authorized in your grant agreement. Accounts in ASAP are partially composed of your grant number, plus additional digits.

Duration:

30 minutes, 13 seconds

State Historic Preservation Offices 2022 HPF Application Webinar

What is Submitted Where?

You will submit some information directly through grants.gov; other information related to your projected accomplishments will be entered in HPF Online.

Summary of where information is submitted: grants.gov or HPF Online.

Submitted in grants.gov	Submitted in HPF Online
SF-424 SF-424A SF-424B SF-424C SF-424D SF-LLL Attachments form Indirect Cost Rate or De Minimis Indirect Cost Rate Certification (if applicable) Organizational Chart Certification of Qualified Staff and Review Board Statement	Cumulative Products Table Projections Project Activity Database (at least In-House Activities)

Where are Sample Forms Available?

A blank reference copy of any form starting with "SF" (for "Standard Form") is available on grants.gov but remember, you will complete these forms online within grants.gov when you actually apply.

Sample copies of the of the Certification of Qualified Staff and Review Board Statement are available in HPF Online under the "HPF Forms" tab on the left-hand column. The Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual describes the requirements for the organizational chart and staffing summary statement, but does not prescribe a specific format.

What is Reported in HPF Online?

Annual HPF formula grants are designed to provide assistance to your office to carry out many of the activities your office does as a recognized SHPO. When you submit an application, we are asking you to provide us with your projected accomplishments.

Cumulative Products Table (CPT)

Provide quantitative data projections for what will be accomplished in the current federal fiscal year, regardless of whether activities were funded by the current year's grant or the past year's grant.

Example: You are applying for FY23 funding. Each cumulative products table would be completed with projections for accomplishments in FY23, regardless of whether it was funded by a 2022 grant, 2023 grant, or matching share.

Project Activity Database Report (PADB) Projections

These reports cover the projects to be funded under the current fiscal year grant award over the three-year lifetime of the award. Each SHPO grant lasts three federal fiscal years.

Example: You are applying for FY23 funding. A project for each program area must be completed representing grant assisted work in FY23 and FY24 and FY25 for states that select the three-year period of performance option. For states that select the two-year option, you will represent grant assisted work in FY23 and FY24. You must enter a PADB project for all in-house activities as part of the application. You will enter subgrant activities as they are awarded. The three-year timeline for HPF grants is new with federal fiscal year 2022 funding and only applies for 2022 onwards.