Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00279
Apply for P15AS00279
- The National Park Service in the community development education employment, labor and training health natural resources regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Buddy Bison and Kids To Parks Task 1" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954 National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 6, 2015 and posted on Aug 6, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $100,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Buddy Bison and Kids To Parks Task 1 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P15AS00279) is a National Park Service public notice stating the agency's intent to make a single, non-competitive award rather than soliciting applications. In other words, it is not an open call for proposals; it is a transparency notice that the Department of the Interior, through NPS, plans to fund a specific continuation project with a specific partner. The planned award is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), meaning NPS expects to remain actively involved in carrying out the work rather than simply providing pass-through funding.
The intended recipient is the National Park Trust, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with a total anticipated federal award amount of $100,000 and no cost share or matching requirement. The anticipated period of performance runs from the date of award through August 30, 2016. The award is made under statutory authority 54 USC 101702(a) and is associated with CFDA 15.954, titled "National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education." The announcement lists one expected award, with an award ceiling of $100,000 (and an award floor of $1), and it was posted on August 6, 2015, with an original/current closing date of August 16, 2015, then archived on August 17, 2015. A key point is that the closing date here functions more as a formal posting window on Grants.gov rather than a competitive deadline, since the agency is not requesting applications.
Programmatically, the project continues and expands two connected youth engagement efforts: the Buddy Bison School Program and the Kids to Parks Day National School Contest. These programs are designed to provide outdoor education and recreation experiences, primarily for elementary-age students, with a focus on underserved, urban, and low socioeconomic schools and communities. The work sits within an existing relationship structure: it is a task agreement under a broader cooperative agreement previously established between NPS and the National Park Trust to deliver conservation, nature, and outdoor recreation education for youth. The announcement also notes an earlier memorandum of understanding dating to 2013 that set up a framework for planning and executing these programs, which helps explain why the current action is framed as a continuation rather than a new start.
The division of responsibilities is spelled out for both parties. On the National Park Trust side, the organization is expected to recruit and re-engage participating schools by contacting and cultivating roughly 10 to 15 new or returning Buddy Bison schools, while also preparing program plans for 35 existing Buddy Bison schools. The Trust is also responsible for working directly with staff at selected NPS sites to plan and implement the school programs, hiring and training a new full-time staff member to deliver youth programming, and building out operational infrastructure by creating and/or expanding a database system to manage program information. In addition, the Trust will handle procurement of program materials, including classroom toolkits and Buddy Bison materials.
On the National Park Service side, the agency commits to active collaboration consistent with a cooperative agreement model. NPS will consult with the National Park Trust to identify and select the targeted communities and schools for participation in both the Buddy Bison School Program and the Kids to Parks National School Contest. NPS will also help select which NPS units (parks and sites) will host and facilitate program activities, including hosting winning schools tied to the national contest. Finally, NPS will provide subject matter experts to support planning and delivery of outdoor education and recreation components, reinforcing that federal staff will play an ongoing technical and programmatic role rather than remaining hands-off.
The noncompetitive nature of the award is justified under the Department of the Interior single source policy (505 DM 2) using the "Continuation" criterion. The rationale is that this task agreement is necessary to complete or continue an activity already being funded, and that competing it would risk disrupting program continuity or completion. The announcement explicitly cites this continuation basis as the reason full and open competition was not pursued, tying the task agreement to the existing cooperative agreement and ongoing work with the National Park Trust.
For anyone needing official details, the point of contact listed is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, JuneZastrow@nps.gov). The overall takeaway is that this notice documents NPS's plan to invest $100,000, through a cooperative agreement extension/continuation, to scale youth outdoor learning and recreation programming in underserved communities via the Buddy Bison and Kids to Parks initiatives, with shared implementation responsibilities between NPS and the National Park Trust.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Is this an open grant opportunity that anyone can apply for?
No. This is a National Park Service (NPS) public notice stating the agency's intent to make a single, non-competitive award. It is a transparency notice rather than an open call for proposals, and NPS is not soliciting applications.
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P15AS00279.
3) What is the name of the opportunity described in the notice?
The notice describes the Buddy Bison and Kids To Parks Task 1 opportunity.
4) What type of federal assistance instrument is planned (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The planned award is a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant. This means NPS expects to remain actively involved in carrying out the work rather than simply providing pass-through funding.
5) Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the National Park Trust, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
6) How many awards does NPS expect to make under this notice?
The announcement lists one expected award.
7) What is the anticipated federal funding amount?
The total anticipated federal award amount is $100,000.
8) Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share or matching requirement.
9) What are the award ceiling and award floor listed in the announcement?
The award ceiling is $100,000, and the award floor is $1.
10) What is the anticipated period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance runs from the date of award through August 30, 2016.
11) When was the notice posted, and what were the closing and archive dates?
The notice was posted on August 6, 2015. The original/current closing date shown is August 16, 2015, and it was archived on August 17, 2015.
12) Does the "closing date" function like a competitive application deadline?
Not in the typical sense. Because the agency is not requesting applications, the closing date functions more as a formal posting window on Grants.gov rather than a competitive deadline.
13) What program area (CFDA) is this associated with?
The notice is associated with CFDA 15.954, titled "National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education."
14) What statutory authority is cited for this award?
The announcement cites statutory authority 54 USC 101702(a).
15) Why is this award being made non-competitively (single source)?
The noncompetitive approach is justified under the Department of the Interior single source policy (505 DM 2) using the "Continuation" criterion. The rationale is that this task agreement continues an activity already being funded, and competing it could disrupt program continuity or completion.
16) What does "continuation" mean in the context of this notice?
In this context, it means NPS is continuing and expanding work that is already underway under an existing relationship structure (including an established cooperative agreement and earlier planning framework), rather than starting a brand-new, competed project.
17) What project work is being continued or expanded?
The project continues and expands two connected youth engagement efforts: the Buddy Bison School Program and the Kids to Parks Day National School Contest.
18) Who are the primary intended participants or beneficiaries of these programs?
The programs are designed to provide outdoor education and recreation experiences primarily for elementary-age students, with a focus on underserved, urban, and low socioeconomic schools and communities.
19) How does this task agreement relate to other agreements mentioned in the notice?
The notice describes the work as a task agreement under a broader cooperative agreement previously established between NPS and the National Park Trust to deliver conservation, nature, and outdoor recreation education for youth. It also notes a memorandum of understanding dating to 2013 that created a framework for planning and executing these programs.
20) What responsibilities are assigned to the National Park Trust under this notice?
The National Park Trust is expected to:
- Recruit and re-engage participating schools by contacting and cultivating roughly 10 to 15 new or returning Buddy Bison schools.
- Prepare program plans for 35 existing Buddy Bison schools.
- Work directly with staff at selected NPS sites to plan and implement the school programs.
- Hire and train a new full-time staff member to deliver youth programming.
- Create and/or expand a database system to manage program information (operational infrastructure).
- Procure program materials, including classroom toolkits and Buddy Bison materials.
21) What responsibilities are assigned to the National Park Service (NPS) under this notice?
NPS commits to active collaboration and is expected to:
- Consult with the National Park Trust to identify and select targeted communities and schools for participation in both the Buddy Bison School Program and the Kids to Parks National School Contest.
- Help select which NPS units (parks and sites) will host and facilitate program activities, including hosting winning schools tied to the national contest.
- Provide subject matter experts to support planning and delivery of outdoor education and recreation components.
22) What does NPS "active involvement" look like here?
Based on the notice, active involvement includes collaborating on selecting communities and schools, helping choose participating NPS sites, hosting winning schools connected to the national contest, and providing subject matter experts to support program planning and delivery.
23) How many schools are mentioned for recruitment and planning activities?
The notice states the National Park Trust will contact and cultivate roughly 10 to 15 new or returning Buddy Bison schools and will prepare program plans for 35 existing Buddy Bison schools.
24) What operational infrastructure work is included in the project?
The National Park Trust is expected to create and/or expand a database system to manage program information, described as part of building out operational infrastructure.
25) What kinds of materials are expected to be purchased or provided?
The Trust will handle procurement of program materials, including classroom toolkits and Buddy Bison materials.
26) Who is the official point of contact for this notice?
The point of contact listed is June Zastrow. Phone: 303-987-6718. Email: JuneZastrow@nps.gov.
27) What is the main takeaway of this public notice?
The notice documents NPS's plan to invest $100,000 through a cooperative agreement continuation/extension with the National Park Trust to scale youth outdoor learning and recreation programming in underserved communities via the Buddy Bison and Kids to Parks initiatives, with shared implementation responsibilities between NPS and the Trust.
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