FY2023 ABPP - Battlefield Interpretation Grant | P23AS00487

Opportunity Information: Apply for P23AS00487

The FY2023 ABPP Battlefield Interpretation Grant (Funding Opportunity Number P23AS00487) is a discretionary grant program run by the National Park Service through its American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP). Its purpose is to help communities preserve and better interpret significant battlefields and other armed conflict sites that are central to understanding American history. ABPP positions these places as shared heritage sites that can support learning, reflection, and healing, and it carries out that mission through several related grant lines, including Preservation Planning, Battlefield Restoration, Battlefield Interpretation, and Battlefield Land Acquisition.

This specific opportunity focuses on interpretation and education, with an emphasis on using technology to modernize and strengthen how the public experiences and learns from battlefield sites connected to the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Funded projects must be tied to battlefield sites that are eligible for assistance under the Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program authority (54 U.S.C. 308103(b)). In practice, this means applicants are expected to be working with historically significant sites that meet ABPP eligibility standards, and to propose interpretive work that makes those sites more understandable and engaging for today’s audiences, often by pairing solid historical content with thoughtful digital delivery.

A core requirement of the grant is cost sharing: applicants must provide a non-federal match of at least 50 percent of total project costs, effectively a 1:1 match relative to the federal share. The program is designed for community-driven stewardship, so proposals are expected to demonstrate real collaboration rather than a single organization acting alone. ABPP specifically encourages partnerships that involve a range of stakeholders, including landowners, descendant communities, Indian Tribes, State Historic Preservation Offices and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and nonprofit partners. The idea is that interpretation is stronger and more credible when it is built with input from the communities connected to the site, not just created for them.

Competitive projects are expected to be well planned and interdisciplinary. Applicants are encouraged to build project teams that include expertise in historical content, interpretation and education methods, and technology integration from the earliest stages, rather than treating technology as an add-on at the end. ABPP stresses the value of multiple perspectives and sources of knowledge (disciplinary, cultural, and experiential) and cautions against relying on a single subject matter expert. Proposals should also show clear and collaborative scoping before technical production begins, including coordination between content specialists and technical specialists. Technology choices should be driven by audience needs and communication goals, and the grant can support stakeholder consultation and audience research to help select appropriate platforms. Applicants are also expected to define metrics for evaluating how well the interpretation works during and after rollout, and to address long-term sustainability so the technology and content can be maintained institutionally over time.

The program offers two grant categories based on project readiness. Scoping Grants support early-stage development work such as research, content development, consultation, technology exploration, audience research, and preparation of technical proposals. For these, the federal share typically ranges from $20,000 to $50,000, with a 1 to 2 year period of performance. Implementation Grants support projects that have already completed interdisciplinary scoping and can submit draft content and design plans at the time of application; these awards are larger, with a typical federal share of $50,000 to $200,000, and a 2 to 3 year period of performance. The maximum federal award listed for the opportunity is $200,000.

Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) types, as described in the notice, excluding institutions of higher education where specified). The opportunity is administered by the National Park Service, listed under CFDA 15.926. The original closing date for this FY2023 announcement was August 9, 2023, and the opportunity was created on May 9, 2023.

Finally, ABPP signals a thematic priority tied to the nation’s approach to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. While projects across eligible conflict periods may apply, special priority is given to proposals that preserve and interpret Revolutionary War-era sites in ways that connect them to contemporary community life and development, expanding public understanding of the country’s origins while supporting preservation goals.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2023 ABPP - Battlefield Interpretation Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.926.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-05-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-08-09. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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.

Apply for P23AS00487

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