NPS Chesapeake Gateways Tourism and Economic Development Grants | P25AS00020

Opportunity Information: Apply for P25AS00020

The NPS Chesapeake Gateways Tourism and Economic Development Grants (Funding Opportunity Number P25AS00020) is a discretionary grant program run by the National Park Service to support community development projects that strengthen tourism and economic outcomes connected to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program directs applicants to the official Chesapeake Gateways Grants webpage for the full application package, instructions, FAQs, training schedule, and supporting resources: https://www.nps.gov/locations/chesapeakebaywatershed/grants.htm. The Chesapeake Gateways Office is also offering grant workshops and trainings designed to walk applicants through what is required in the application and how to submit materials correctly. Training dates are posted on the same webpage, and additional sessions may be added over time. Anyone who wants to be notified about future webinars can email ChesapeakeGrants@nps.gov with their contact information.

A central eligibility rule is geographic: applicants may be based outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed, but the proposed project itself must take place within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and must serve a public purpose. Projects located outside the watershed are not eligible and will not be considered. The opportunity references a county list for defining watershed boundaries, meaning applicants should confirm their project location is within the designated watershed counties before investing time in a full application.

In terms of who can apply, the eligible applicant pool is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); and businesses, including small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The funding instrument is a grant, and the funding activity category is listed as community development (CFDA 15.930), signaling that projects should have a clear community benefit and an economic or tourism development rationale tied to the Chesapeake region.

Key timing and award details included in the notice are the original closing date of October 21, 2024, and an award ceiling of $100,000 per award. The posting indicates the opportunity was created on July 29, 2024. The notice does not provide the expected number of awards in the text provided, so interested applicants should rely on the Grants webpage and official application materials for any updates on selection targets, match requirements (if any), project period, required forms, evaluation criteria, and other compliance details.

Practically speaking, the best next step for an interested applicant is to use the NPS Chesapeake Gateways Grants webpage as the primary hub: confirm the project location qualifies within the watershed boundary list, review the FAQ for common compliance and eligibility pitfalls, and attend one of the scheduled trainings to avoid avoidable submission mistakes. If the posted trainings do not fit your schedule, emailing ChesapeakeGrants@nps.gov helps you get notified when new webinar dates are added.

• The National Park Service in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NPS Chesapeake Gateways Tourism and Economic Development Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.930.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for P25AS00020

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: