LWCF Administrative Grant Award - FY24 | P P LWCF 24 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for P P LWCF 24 003

The LWCF Administrative Grant Award - FY24 (Funding Opportunity Number P P LWCF 24 003) is a mandatory grant opportunity from the National Park Service (NPS) under CFDA 15.916 that provides administrative support funding to state governments that administer the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) programs. The overall aim is to strengthen how states manage and deliver LWCF-related grant activities, particularly in ways that expand participation, fix weak spots in program implementation, and improve oversight of previously funded sites and partners.

For fiscal year 2024, the NPS indicates that the administrative grant structure will largely mirror the 2023 approach, with only a few exceptions related to allowable periods of performance. A key change is flexibility around timing: applicants are no longer expected to confine personnel costs to a single year or keep the overall administrative grant period limited to three years. NPS specifically notes the benefit of longer, 4 to 5 year administrative grants that can be amended over time (both in cost and scope). This approach is intended to reduce overlapping grant periods and make reporting and administration simpler over the long run.

The agency also draws a clear line between new applications and amendments. If a state already received an administrative grant award in 2023, the expectation is that the state should coordinate with its NPS program officer to pursue a cost increase amendment to the existing award rather than submitting a brand-new FY24 administrative grant application. In other words, the preferred pathway for continuing or expanding work that is already funded is to modify the prior award instead of starting over with a new one.

In terms of funding levels, NPS provides a recommended range rather than a hard rule: proposed award amounts are recommended to be more than $200,000 and less than 7 percent of the state s apportionment. Applications that request amounts outside that band are not automatically disqualified, but they are expected to justify the request in the budget narrative. That justification should be tied directly to the program goals NPS highlights: (1) improving participation in the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) and LWCF formula grant programs, (2) addressing areas where formula grant implementation is deficient, and (3) improving monitoring of LWCF-assisted parks and sub-recipients to ensure long-term compliance and stewardship of funded sites.

The notice emphasizes practical application and budgeting expectations. Applicants are encouraged to coordinate with their NPS program officer before submission to review the application and reduce the likelihood of preventable issues. Particular attention is directed to the SF-424A budgeting form: applicants should carefully follow the Budget Object Classifications (BOC) definitions in the SF-424A instructions and mirror those categories in the budget narrative so the numbers and descriptions align cleanly. If the budget includes equipment costs, the application should include a signed written request seeking reimbursement of those equipment costs, suggesting that equipment reimbursement requires explicit documentation. Finally, applicants are advised to build in extra time for revisions to the SF-424A, implying that budget corrections are common and that late-stage fixes could affect timely submission.

Key logistics included in the opportunity listing are that eligible applicants are limited to state governments, the original closing date was July 12, 2024, the listed award ceiling is $1,960,000, and NPS anticipated making about 28 awards.

• The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "LWCF Administrative Grant Award - FY24" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.916.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-12. (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 $1,960,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 28 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for P P LWCF 24 003

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