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

The Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) Capacity Grant for FY2025, administered by the National Park Service (NPS), provides financial assistance to support recovery efforts and capacity-building for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs and THPOs) in areas affected by natural disasters. This initiative is backed by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and Public Law 118-158. The program allocates $48 million for non-construction projects and internal operations critical for recovery efforts related to major disaster declarations in 2023 and 2024. This grant opportunity is specifically designed to aid SHPOs and THPOs by funding activities such as compliance activities, surveys, inventories, and planning tasks. The goal is to strengthen these offices’ capacities to manage increased workloads resulting from disaster impacts. Applicants must operate within jurisdictions that received a FEMA-recognized major disaster declaration during the stated years. Only State governments, eligible tribal governments with appropriate agreements, and the Ohio History Connection (a nonprofit serving as Ohio’s SHPO) are eligible to apply under this specific funding opportunity number (P25AS00257). Applicants must prepare a comprehensive application package that includes a project abstract, narrative, and budget justification among other federal forms such as SF-424 series and disclosures. Applications must detail the significance, urgency, feasibility, and sustainability of the proposed projects. Each narrative section is capped at 6,000 characters. Required registration in SAM.gov and Grants.gov is mandatory prior to application, and the process may take several weeks. All applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM ET on June 12, 2025. Projects are expected to start on March 31, 2026, and be completed within three years. Pre-award costs tied to the qualifying disaster period may be eligible. Administrative and indirect costs combined cannot exceed 25% of the total project cost. No matching funds are required, and costs must align with 2 CFR 200 and the Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual. Ineligible activities include physical preservation, construction, and work on federally owned properties. Evaluation is based on four weighted criteria: significance, need/urgency, feasibility, and sustainability—each scored up to 25 points. NPS reviewers will assess applications, and selections may also consider geographic equity and federal disaster data. Awards will be communicated electronically, and awardees must comply with various federal regulations including reporting, environmental reviews, and adherence to preservation standards. For inquiries, applicants can contact the program via email at STLPG@nps.gov. All required documents, including project and budget templates, are accessible through the “Related Documents” tab on the Grants.gov listing.