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Grants
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Grant Program
This federal program of the National Park Service is administered by the DHPA and is intended to assist important local preservation projects and help the State meet its goals for cultural resource management. The DHPA makes subgrant awards in three different project categories through an annual competitive funding round.
Examples of HPF grant-assisted rehabilitation projects
Civil War Monument in Forest Hill Cemetery
Putnam County
Stained-glass skylight in the atrium of
Daviess County Courthouse
Gregg Park Shelter
Knox County
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include registered not-for-profit organizations, county and municipal government agencies, and colleges and universities. Historic buildings or structures to be documented or rehabilitated with grant funds must already be listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the time of application.
Program Timeframe: Application packets are posted on the DHPA’s by August 1st each year. The grant application deadline is normally the first Friday in October. Projects selected for funding are tentatively notified in February but cannot officially begin until a State grant agreement is executed, usually by late spring or early summer. Projects must be completed by June 30 of the following year.
Match Requirements: All grant awards must be matched with funds from any non-federal source. The applicant must document that it has the required matching funds on-hand and available within its own accounts at the time of application. The short program cycle does not allow time to raise the matching funds during the grant period.
Match Ratios: Most subgrants have a 50/50 grant-to-match ratio; however, certain applicants and project types are eligible for more advantageous funding ratios.
Communities that are federally designated as Certified Local Governments (CLGs) get a 60/40 grant-to-match ratio for any type of project. Learn more about the CLG program here.
Colleges and universities get a 70/30 grant-to-match ratio for archaeological survey projects conducted in prioritized areas due to the DHPA’s need for site location data.
Release of Grant Funds: All grant funds are paid out on a reimbursement basis as work progresses, not as a lump sum at the beginning of the project. The subgrantee must cover project costs with its own funds and seek periodic reimbursement from the State by submitting thorough documentation of the project expenses. Grant reimbursements are delivered electronically about 30 days after submission and approval of appropriate documentation. The DHPA normally holds the final 15% of grant funds as a retention until after the completed project is reviewed and approved.
Grant Award Amounts: The maximum grant award is normally $50,000.
Grant Application Packets, Parts, and Submittals: Each project category has its own application packet. A complete grant application requires:
- A detailed project description
- A realistic timetable
- Written responses to two sets of grant evaluation criteria
- A realistic budget supported by a detailed breakdown and/or written estimates for work
- Documentation of available funds needed as grant match
Other items frequently submitted as part of grant applications include support letters, resumes of project staff, maps, photographs, and plans and specifications.
Project Categories:
Architectural and Historical projects include: National Register nominations for eligible historic districts; public education programs and materials relating to preservation, such as workshops, training events, publications, and brochures; feasibility studies, architectural and engineering plans, and specifications for the rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse of National Register-listed properties; historic structure reports for National Register-listed properties; and historic context studies with National Register nominations for specific types of historic resources.
Archaeological projects include: survey, testing, and research focused on specific geographic areas or cultural groups; National Register nominations for individual or multiple archaeological sites; and public education programs and materials relating to archaeology.
Acquisition and Development projects include the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and acquisition of National Register-listed properties. This category is often referred to as “bricks and mortar money,” and is used to help save buildings and structures that are severely threatened or endangered. Note that properties not listed in the National Register are not eligible to receive federal HPF funds.
The HPF Grants Manual
(Word format ) (PDF format )
Roles of Project Personnel: Make sure you understand the responsibilities of the Project Coordinator and the Principal Investigator. This explanation will help clarify the roles and responsibilities of the project personnel.
Acknowledgment Requirements: Grants that will produce technical reports, publications, printed materials should review the required acknowledgment language for these products. All grant recipients doing press releases to promote their projects are also required to include a statement of acknowledgment. This information can be found in your HPF Grants Manual but is also provided here for your convenience.
HPF Subgrantee Progress Report (Word format), (PDF format : Quarterly reports are due to the DHPA Grants Staff by July 10th, October 10th, January 10th and April 10th for the duration of your project. Use this form and attach separate pages, if necessary. Reports can be emailed, faxed, or sent by post mail.
HPF Reimbursement Request Form (Word format ), (PDF format ): Use this cover form to claim reimbursement from your grant funds. This form should be accompanied by appropriate and complete documentation of the 100% of the costs for your project (your funding ratio will be applied to that 100% documentation). For further explanation of the reimbursement process, review your HPF Grants Manual.
Time Work Record: If project sponsor staff or volunteers are being paid or providing match to the project, use the Time Work Record form to keep track of time worked on the project. Note the date, hours, and activity. On the top of the form, note whether the time is donated or paid. Paid time must be documented with a rate of pay (using a pay stub or other mechanism to determine an hourly rate).
Congressional Letters: At part of your grant project, you must send letters to Indiana’s two U.S. Senators and the U.S. Representative for the district in which the project is located. The information that should be included in your letter is provided here, as well as in the HPF Grants Manual.
Procurement: Bidding and Contracts
Procurement Guidelines and Requirements: What kinds of services must be bid out? What do bid documents need to include? How are we required to advertise or invite bidders? The Appendix in your HPF Grants Manual will answer all those questions and others. Here it is again to guide you in bidding and contracts.
Info on Contracts Exceeding $100,000: If a contract that includes HPF funds will be over $100,000, it must be publicly advertised in area newspapers. The requirements for those contracts and advertisements are provided here (and can also be found in the HPF Grants Manual, Appendix B).
Required Federal Language for Bids and Contracts : This boilerplate language MUST be included in all bid documents AND contracts. This is the “Full Version” that must be used for all bid documents, project manuals, and contracts. There is an “Abbreviated Version” which is ONLY allowed for newspaper advertisements, and you can find it in the document called, “Info on Contracts Exceeding $100,000.”
If you have any questions regarding bidding or contracts, contact the DHPA Grants Staff. Do not jeopardize your grant funding with improper procurement!