National Maritime Heritage Grants
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
The National Maritime Heritage Grants Program provides matching grants for education and preservation projects designed to preserve historic maritime resources and to increase public awareness and appreciation for the maritime heritage of the United States. The grants will help State, Tribal, and local governments and private nonprofit organizations preserve and interpret their maritime heritage.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- State governments
- Local governments
- State
State, local, tribal governments and private nonprofit institutions/organizations are eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible applicants.
Beneficiaries
- 16
- 4
- 5
Any State or local government or private non-profit institution/organization will benefit directly from grant funds. It is intended that the general public will ultimately benefit from the information conveyed by the funded projects.
How to Apply
Application Procedure
Funding announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov.
Applicants may visit the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program website at
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1220/maritime-heritage-grants.htm for more information.
Award Procedure
Proposals received in response to announcements on grants.gov are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.
Each application is scored individually based on standardized criteria. Awards are made as direct grants to State or tribal Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO or THPO), who issue sub-grants to applicants.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 60 to 90 days
Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager listed as the point of contact.
Program details & compliance
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Funds may be used for education or preservation projects that promote the understanding of significant aspect of American maritime heritage. Projects that involve historic resources as defined in the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, must comply with treatments defined in the "Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties" (36 CFR 78), “Standards for Historic Vessel Preservation Projects”, and “Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation” (48 FR 44716). The Grantee must grant a preservation easement or preservation agreement for each grant-assisted property. In general, the Grants Program does not fund projects which will train the individual maritime heritage professional to do his or her job better or assist in career recognition or promotion. This includes activities such as developing training or continuing education courses for the maritime heritage education or preservation professional, personal research, or research resulting in highly specialized reports or publications with narrow audience appeal and little potential for public use or applications. Grants Program funds cannot be paid for any work or activity that does not conform to the terms of the NPS Grant Agreement which incorporates all applicable grant requirements, conditions, and Federal laws and regulations.
Required Documentation
Determined at the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) level.
Matching Requirements
The National Maritime Heritage Act, section 4(d)(2), requires grants be matched on a 1-to-1 basis. Each federal dollar must be matched by one non-federal dollar. Match may be in the form of cash or in-kind donations of time, goods, or services.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements