National Park Service · Department of the Interior

National Parks Business Plan Internship

Open

Deadline: Due Jan 4, 2027 · 88 days left
Award size: Up to $1.7M
Total available: $1.7M · about 1 award
Match ?: Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply: County government, Private college or university, Tribal organization, School district, Public college or university, State government, City or town government, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), Special district (utility, fire, etc.), Tribal government
Where: Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

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How this fits you

Available in Davidson County (nationwide program)
No match required
Past Tennessee awards on file: 3 — including your county

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/1ef97b8e-b7ed-4756-8f6a-606332cad04c · Printed from grantme.click/grants/c6b795a5-c7ed-47fb-9c61-4516d4a922a4

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About this grant

The National Parks Business Plan Internship (BPI) goal is to jointly administer a graduate-level internship program focused on improving the business management and operational health of our national parks and NPS programs. The internship program should: • Provide students with in-depth training on NPS business management and operations, exposure to park and/or program level operations, and the opportunity to conduct substantive analysis and evaluation which lead to recommendations that improve strategic planning and management decision-making. • Encourage highly qualified graduate students from professional disciplines underrepresented in the NPS workforce (Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Policy, Master of Environmental Management, and similar degree programs) to explore federal careers with conservation and land management agencies. • Cultivate a lifelong stewardship ethic for public lands in graduate students from top universities. Eligible recipients are State, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations.

Who can apply, from the official notice

In accordance with 54 USC §101702(a) [Formerly 16 U.S.C. 1g], the eligible applicants are State, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 6305.Foreign Entities or Projects: This program does not provide funding to foreign entities or for projects conducted outside the United States.Excluded Parties: NPS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The NPS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

Oct8
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
Dec14
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
Dec28
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
Jan1
Submit
Suggested: submit a few days early. Agency portals can slow down near deadlines.
Jan4
Deadline
From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Davidson County facts with citations.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice NOFO_National_Parks_Business_Plan_Internship_Ready_061826.pdf (21 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Award size and project length

Award amounts here are per year · p. 3

“An estimated total of $1,700,000 of funding is anticipated for this award (approximately $425,000 per year).” Open page 3

Registrations you need first (5)

SAM.gov · p. 4

“NPS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award.” Open page 4
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 5

“Unique Entity Identifier and SAM.gov Registration Before applying, all applicants except individuals applying as a natural person must be registered in SAM.gov.” Open page 5
Grants.gov · p. 5

“GRANTS.GOV This program accepts applications through Grants.gov so once you receive your UEI return to Grants.gov to register with Grants.gov.” Open page 5
GrantSolutions · p. 16

“AWARD NOTICES Notices of Federal Award are sent electronically via GrantSolutions or e-mail.” Open page 16
ASAP.gov (payments) · p. 20

“Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), unless approved for a waiver by NPS.” Open page 20

Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

What to submit

Form SF-424 · p. 8

“FORMS/ASSURANCES/CERTIFICATIONS SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Note:” Open page 8
Form SF-424A · p. 9

“SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs The estimated budget must align with the projected scope of work presented in the application.” Open page 9
Form SF-LLL · p. 9

“SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Required if requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funds and the applicant has used or plans to use funds other than Federal appropriated funds for lobbying related to the proposed project.” Open page 9
Budget narrative / justification · p. 9

“Budget Narrative Applicants must describe and justify items and costs listed in their budget.” Open page 9
Audit or financial statements · p. 10

“U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and non- profit organizations expending $1,000,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for…” Open page 10
Form SF-424B · p. 21

“FAMD-1443-001-2026-01 Appendix A - Application Package Forms SF424, SF424A, SF424B, detailed budget instructions” Open page 21

Length limits

Page limit (see quote): 12 pages max · p. 9

“The 12-page limit includes all text, figures, references, and resumes (Forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, and the statement of indirect charges are not counted as part of the page limit).” Open page 9

Formatting rules

1-inch margins · p. 9

“Required from all applicants Project Narrative The proposal is a narrative description that should specifically address each of the review criteria (see Merit Review Criteria) The proposal text must be no longer than 12 pages, no smaller than font size 11,…” Open page 9
10-point font · p. 15

“Each criteria element will be scored on a 0-10 point scale: 10 Superior (100 % of weighted average) 8 Good (80 % of weighted average) 6 Satisfactory (60 % of weighted average) 4 Marginal (40 % of weighted average) 2 Poor (20 % of weighted average) 0 Not…” Open page 15

Cost share or match

Cost share / match · p. 4

“No Non-Federal cost sharing is not required to be eligible for an award under this NOFO.” Open page 4

Dates in the notice

01/04/2027 · p. 11

“Submission Dates and Times Closing Date for Applications: 01/04/2027 Closing Date Explanation:” Open page 11

Mistakes that get applications rejected (2)

Unresolved civil-rights or legal findings: We are prohibited from making an award if a recipient or any key personnel are found ineligible,... · p. 12

“We are prohibited from making an award if a recipient or any key personnel are found ineligible, prohibited, restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving or participating in an award, as their ineligibility condition applies to this program.” Open page 12
Outside what the program funds: If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient... · p. 15

“If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient information for review, the applicant will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from further review. b.” Open page 15

Who in Tennessee has won this program

3 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2020 · 1 in Davidson County. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winner	Where	Amount	Fiscal year
Conservation Fisheries, Inc	Knoxville, Knox County	$125K	2024
Diving With a Purpose [Dwp] and Development Group, Inc.	Nashville, Davidson County	$28K	2020
State of Tennessee	Nashville	$22K spent that year	2025

Source: USAspending.gov; Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

About the federal program

National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education
Program number 15.954 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement)

How applications are judged

In each year's official notice: read this year's.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal year 2025: 1) Educational and Professional Development: Projects support teacher professional development and the creation of educational materials for distance learning, helping educators integrate public lands into their curriculum. 2) Public Engagement and Interpretation: Funds are used to develop programs that enhance visitor enjoyment, promote interpretation of natural and cultural resources, and increase public understanding of conservation issues. 3) Visitor Services and Transportation: Awards finance shuttle operations in high-visitation areas to reduce environmental impacts and improve access, such as those servicing forest or coastal sites. 4) Restoration and Stewardship: Funding is directed to nonprofit partnerships for hands-on restoration work, habitat improvement, and trail maintenance to improve ecological health and visitor safety. 5) Cultural Enrichment and Recreation: Funding may cover live music or interpretive performances to enrich visitor experiences and foster community engagement in recreational spaces. Fiscal year 2026: 1) Education, engagement, and access - Outdoor recreation experiences for students and military families. Facilitated trips...

This program on SAM.gov

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Key facts