FY2021 Battlefield Interpretation Grants | P21AS00291

Opportunity Information: Apply for P21AS00291

The FY2021 Battlefield Interpretation Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P21AS00291) is a discretionary grant program run by the National Park Service (NPS) through its American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), listed under CFDA 15.926. The purpose is to help modernize and strengthen how the public learns about historic battlefields by funding interpretation and education projects that make smart, effective use of technology. While ABPP broadly supports the identification, research, evaluation, interpretation, and protection of historic battlefields nationwide, this specific funding round is focused on technology-forward interpretation at eligible Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield sites that qualify under the battlefield acquisition grant authority referenced in 54 U.S.C. 308103(b). In practical terms, the program is looking for projects that help visitors and communities understand battlefield history and meaning more clearly through well-designed digital or tech-enabled experiences, while still grounding everything in strong scholarship and inclusive storytelling.

Applicants must be non-federal entities, and eligibility is wide enough to include state governments, counties, cities or townships, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, public and state-controlled colleges and universities, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). A major financial requirement is the cost share: projects must provide a non-federal match of at least 50 percent, meaning the federal portion can cover no more than half of total project costs. The opportunity sets an award ceiling of $200,000, and the original closing date for applications was May 5, 2021 (with the opportunity created February 5, 2021). Applicants are encouraged to contact the NPS ABPP for guidance while developing their proposals, which signals that the program expects applicants to coordinate early, especially when projects involve technical production decisions.

The program is very explicit about what it considers a strong project. It is not just asking for a piece of technology; it is asking for credible content, good interpretive practice, and thoughtful technical execution, all planned together from the beginning. Competitive proposals are expected to bring in expertise in historical content, interpretation and education methods, and technology integration throughout the full project lifecycle rather than treating technology as a last-minute add-on. ABPP also emphasizes building a project team with diverse perspectives and sources of knowledge, including disciplinary, cultural, and experiential viewpoints, and it cautions against relying on only one subject-matter expert. That emphasis points to a preference for collaborative interpretation that can address multiple narratives and lived experiences tied to these landscapes, rather than a single-author interpretation that may miss important context or community perspectives.

Projects are also expected to be grounded in recent, high-quality scholarship and to address not only military history but also the broader historical, social, and natural contexts of battlefields and associated sites. Before moving into technical production, applicants should show evidence of clear, collaborative, and comprehensive scoping that involves both subject-matter specialists and technical specialists. This is essentially a requirement to do the hard planning work up front: defining goals, audiences, stories, platforms, content needs, technical constraints, and maintenance realities before committing to a specific product. Technology choices should be driven by communication goals and audience needs, and proposals can combine multiple forms of technology or blend digital tools with traditional interpretive media. Importantly, the grants can support stakeholder consultation and audience research, reflecting an expectation that applicants will validate assumptions about who they are trying to reach and what methods will actually work for those audiences.

Accessibility and compliance are a core expectation, not an optional enhancement. Funded projects must ensure accessibility for people with disabilities and align with the relevant requirements of Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as applicable. Examples in the opportunity include subtitles and audio description for videos and wheelchair-accessible exhibit areas, but the broader message is that interpretive design must be inclusive from the outset. In addition, applicants are expected to define meaningful evaluation metrics and strategies to assess effectiveness both during and after implementation, and to plan for sustainability in two ways: the long-term viability of the technology (updates, hosting, hardware replacement, software licensing, cybersecurity considerations if relevant) and the institutional ability to maintain and operate whatever is built (staff capacity, partner responsibilities, and budget planning after the grant period ends).

To support projects at different maturity levels, ABPP offers two grant categories. Scoping grants are meant for early-stage development work such as research, content creation, stakeholder consultation, exploration of technology options, audience research, and development of technical proposals. The recommended federal share for scoping grants ranges from $20,000 to $50,000, with a typical period of performance of 1 to 2 years. Implementation grants are intended for applicants who have already done interdisciplinary scoping before applying and can provide draft content and design plans, essentially demonstrating readiness to build and deploy the interpretive product. The recommended federal share for implementation grants ranges from $50,000 to $200,000, with a typical period of performance of 2 to 3 years. Receiving a scoping grant is not a prerequisite for an implementation grant, but applicants pursuing implementation must show they have completed equivalent preparatory work. The notice also leaves room for flexibility, stating that award amounts and performance periods can vary on a case-by-case basis from the recommended ranges.

Finally, ABPP frames this opportunity within a broader national moment: the approach to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Because of that milestone, the program encourages projects that promote and expand preservation while deepening public understanding of the origins of the United States. Within that broader encouragement, the opportunity highlights a special thematic priority for applications that preserve and interpret Revolutionary War-related historic sites in ways that treat them as living parts of community life and development, not isolated relics. In other words, proposals that connect Revolutionary War battlefields to present-day communities, local identity, and ongoing stewardship, while using technology to improve access and learning, are particularly well aligned with the program’s stated direction.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 Battlefield Interpretation Grants" 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 2021-02-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-05. (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 P21AS00291

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