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More Information

• Grants.gov
• Application Tips & FAQs
• More Information about Formula Grants
• More Information about Competitive Grants
• Discover Past Projects

How to Apply

The National Park Service posts all Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant application materials including detailed instructions, forms, and key information on the government-wide database of funding opportunities. This database is called grants.gov; you must have an account in grants.gov in order to apply for a grant, but no account is necessary to browse for information. If you or your organization is interested in applying for a grant, we strongly encourage you to start early. In addition to the time it will take to complete the application, there are other registration requirements which may need to be completed before you are able to submit an application.

Important Planning Information

If your organization has never received a Federal grant before, you should allow yourself several weeks to prepare to submit an application. There are several systems with which an organization must be registered in order to apply for a grant. You should register with these systems in the order in which they are presented below.

Registration with these systems is free.

All applicants should review the table below prior to applying to ensure that they are registered with all of the entities.

System	Registration	Typical Processing Time
Internal Revenue Service - Employer ID Number (EIN)	Apply online	Up to 5 weeks
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) More information from NPS on UEIs.	Apply online	1 to 2 business days
System for Award Management - SAM.gov	Apply online	Between 2 weeks and 3 months
Grants.gov	Apply online	Same day

Where is the Application?

There is no single document that is "the application." There are multiple documents that, together, will form your application. Some documents are downloaded from grants.gov, completed locally on your computer, and then uploaded into grants.gov as part of what grants.gov calls your "workspace." The workspace is a collaborative environment where you will add the documents you previously downloaded and where you will also complete other forms completely online.

You will find all the information you need to apply for a grant on grants.gov.

1. Search for the grant opportunity using key words or by following a link. When we are accepting applications, the section at the top of this page will have links to the application page on grants.gov.
2. Read all of the posting on grants.gov
3. Go to the Related Documents tab and download and read instructions in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)/Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).
4. Download any necessary forms or worksheets under the Related Documents tab. You will uses these forms and worksheets to provide us required information.
5. When you are ready to apply, complete the files you have downloaded, click on the Apply button to begin the application process.
6. There is no required naming convention or order for uploaded files. Titles should be clear and descriptive.
7. Submit your application package.

Screenshot from grants.gov funding opportunity page showing how to find key documents that are part of the application.

Subscribe to Saved Searches on Grants.gov

If you would like to subscribe to receive email notifications about grant opportunities associated with specific search criteria, such as funding instrument type, eligibility, and sub-agency, you may use the Subscribe to Saved Searches page on Grants.gov. After creating a saved search, you may view the search results or modify the saved search in the Actions column.