FY2025 -Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) -Preservation

The FY2025 Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) – Preservation grant, managed by the National Park Service (NPS), supports the recovery of historic and cultural resources affected by natural disasters in 2023 and/or 2024 that have received major disaster declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The initiative was established under Public Law 118-158, allocating $48 million in funding to eligible applicants through a competitive, no-match-required process. The grants aim to support activities like reconstruction, physical preservation, and planning in alignment with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. Eligible applicants include a broad range of governmental and nonprofit entities such as state, county, and local governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native Hawaiian organizations, educational institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Resources involved must be listed or deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or equivalent Tribal register, and must have incurred disaster-related damage. The program prohibits funding for sites owned or leased by the federal government or those with federal property interests. Applicants must complete several preparatory steps, including registrations in SAM.gov and Grants.gov, and gather necessary forms and documentation such as SF-424 series forms, project narrative, budget narrative, and various worksheets (e.g., National Register Eligibility Worksheet). Additional documents like owner consent letters, letters of support, and project images may be required depending on project specifics. The full application must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 PM ET on July 15, 2025. Evaluation criteria include significance, need/urgency, feasibility, and sustainability, each weighted at 25 points. Applications are reviewed for eligibility, merit, risk, and compliance with statutory and administrative requirements. Only proposals that fully address each criterion will be considered for funding. Awards are expected to be announced prior to the anticipated start date of March 31, 2026, with project completion expected by March 30, 2029. Funding covers a wide array of eligible costs, including but not limited to, physical repairs, reconstruction, pre-preservation studies, ADA accessibility improvements, site security, fire safety, easement establishment, and related administrative costs (not exceeding 25% of total costs). Ineligible uses include new building construction not tied to reconstruction, endowments, lobbying, pre-award work not associated with disaster damage, and projects involving federally owned property. For further information or inquiries, applicants may contact the NPS via email at STLPG@nps.gov. Comprehensive instructions, application materials, and submission support are available through the Grants.gov portal.