Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00466

  • The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Business Plan Internship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Aug 09, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Notice of Intent to enter agreement with Inspiring Capital under existing Cooperative Agreement without additional competition. No applications will be accepted.. (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 $349,725.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for P16AS00466

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:

Opportunity Summary:

The Business Plan Internship Program (BPI) is a National Park Service grant opportunity under the U.S. Department of the Interior that supports hands-on, project-based work aimed at improving how park units and program offices plan and operate. The core idea is to bring graduate-level students into real-world National Park Service settings to tackle practical needs like business planning, operational assessments, and analytical work that helps parks make better decisions. Instead of being a general internship or research program, the emphasis is on producing concrete planning and analysis deliverables that address specific management challenges within the agency.

The program model centers on small teams of interns, usually two or three graduate students, who are placed on-site at a park unit or relevant program office. These teams complete multi-week projects, suggesting an intensive, time-bounded engagement where the interns are expected to immerse themselves in the local operational context, gather information, analyze options, and help develop actionable plans or recommendations. In practice, that structure typically supports collaborative problem-solving and allows teams to divide tasks such as data collection, stakeholder interviews, financial or operational modeling, and drafting final reports or presentations.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was issued as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, and it falls under the education activity category. The listing references CFDA number 15.954, which corresponds to National Park Service-related assistance programs. The maximum potential funding amount (award ceiling) was set at $349,725, and the opportunity anticipated a single award.

A key point about this specific posting is that it was not open for competitive applications. The notice indicates an intent to enter into an agreement with Inspiring Capital under an existing cooperative agreement without additional competition, and it explicitly states that no applications would be accepted. In other words, while the program description outlines what the internship model does and the kinds of projects supported, this particular funding announcement functioned as a formal public notice of a planned, non-competitive award rather than an open call for proposals.

In summary, the Business Plan Internship Program is designed to pair graduate student teams with National Park Service sites for short, intensive assignments that strengthen business planning and operational analysis capacity, but the specific 2016 opportunity (P16AS00466) was structured as a single, non-competitive cooperative agreement action with a funding cap of $349,725 and no open application process.

Business Plan Internship Program (BPI) - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Business Plan Internship Program (BPI)?

The Business Plan Internship Program (BPI) is a National Park Service (NPS) grant-supported program under the U.S. Department of the Interior that focuses on hands-on, project-based work to improve how park units and program offices plan and operate.

What is the main purpose of BPI?

The core purpose is to bring graduate-level students into real-world NPS settings to work on practical planning and analysis needs. The program is designed to help parks make better decisions by producing concrete deliverables tied to specific management challenges.

How is BPI different from a general internship or research program?

BPI is not described as a general internship or open-ended research effort. The emphasis is on producing actionable planning and analysis outputs, such as business planning support, operational assessments, and other analytical products that directly address operational or management needs within the agency.

What kinds of projects or work does BPI support?

The program description highlights work such as business planning, operational assessments, and analytical work intended to improve decision-making. Projects are framed around specific NPS management challenges and are expected to result in tangible deliverables.

Who typically performs the work under this program model?

The model centers on graduate-level students serving as interns. Interns are typically organized into small teams and placed into an NPS park unit or a relevant program office.

How are internship teams structured?

Teams are usually composed of two or three graduate students. This small-team structure supports collaborative problem-solving and allows the work to be divided across tasks needed to complete the project.

Where do the internships take place?

Intern teams are placed on-site at a National Park Service park unit or an applicable program office, allowing them to engage directly with the local operational context.

How long are the projects expected to last?

The program is described as using multi-week projects, indicating an intensive, time-bounded engagement rather than a long-term or indefinite placement.

What does “hands-on, project-based work” mean in this context?

It means interns are expected to immerse themselves in the operational setting, gather relevant information, analyze options, and help develop plans or recommendations that can be used by NPS managers.

What types of tasks might intern teams complete during a project?

Based on the program description, teams may divide responsibilities such as information and data collection, stakeholder interviews, financial or operational modeling, and drafting final reports or presentations.

What kinds of deliverables are expected from BPI projects?

The opportunity emphasizes “concrete planning and analysis deliverables.” While specific deliverable formats are not enumerated in the posting, the description references final reports or presentations and actionable plans or recommendations.

What agency is offering this grant opportunity?

This is a National Park Service grant opportunity under the U.S. Department of the Interior.

What type of funding opportunity is this?

It was issued as a discretionary funding opportunity.

What award instrument is used for this opportunity?

The posting states the instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What activity category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is identified as falling under the education activity category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this listing?

The listing references CFDA number 15.954, which corresponds to National Park Service-related assistance programs.

What is the award ceiling (maximum potential funding amount) for this opportunity?

The maximum potential funding amount (award ceiling) listed for this opportunity is $349,725.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

Was this opportunity open for competitive applications?

No. The notice indicates it was not open for competitive applications.

Could organizations or individuals submit applications in response to this posting?

No. The posting explicitly states that no applications would be accepted.

Why were applications not accepted?

The notice states an intent to enter into an agreement with Inspiring Capital under an existing cooperative agreement without additional competition. This posting functioned as a formal public notice of a planned non-competitive award rather than an open call.

Who was the intended recipient mentioned in the notice?

The notice indicates the National Park Service intended to enter into an agreement with Inspiring Capital under an existing cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that this was a “non-competitive” action?

In this context, it means the agency planned a single award to a named partner without soliciting proposals from other applicants, and the posting served as a public notice rather than a competitive solicitation.

What is the opportunity identifier for this specific posting?

The specific 2016 opportunity is identified as P16AS00466.

Does the posting describe the overall BPI program even though applications were not accepted?

Yes. The description outlines the internship model and the types of planning and operational analysis work supported, even though this particular announcement was not an open application opportunity.

In one sentence, what is the key takeaway from this specific opportunity notice?

The Business Plan Internship Program supports graduate student teams completing short, intensive planning and analysis projects for the National Park Service, but this 2016 posting was a single, non-competitive cooperative agreement notice with a $349,725 ceiling and no application process.

Browse more business programs for Business Consultants

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education

Next opportunity: U.S-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center

Previous opportunity: Vector Control Strategies- Enhancing Capacity for Vector Surveillance and Control to Prevent Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya Infection in Puerto Rico - Financed in part by Prevention and Public Health Funds

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for P16AS00466

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (P16AS00466) also looked into and applied for these:

Funding Opportunity
Partnership for Enhancing CAJO Visitor Experience at the Sultana Education Foundation’s Education Center in Chestertown, Maryland and Through Regional Educational and Public Programming Apply for NPS 16 NERO 0142

Funding Number: NPS 16 NERO 0142
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
CAJO Contact Point and Programming Initiative Apply for NPS 16 NERO 0143

Funding Number: NPS 16 NERO 0143
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $27,530
Joint National Park Service / Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Apply for P16AS00483

Funding Number: P16AS00483
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $71,757
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Scholarship and Fellowship Education Grant, Faculty Development Grant, and Trade School and Community College Scholarship Grant, Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. Apply for NRC HQ 60 17 FOA 0001

Funding Number: NRC HQ 60 17 FOA 0001
Agency: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $450,000
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) Program CFDA Number 84184C Apply for ED GRANTS 081216 001

Funding Number: ED GRANTS 081216 001
Agency: Department of Education
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $2,375,000
OSERS: RSA: Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind Program CFDA Number 84.160D Apply for ED GRANTS 081216 002

Funding Number: ED GRANTS 081216 002
Agency: Department of Education
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $400,000
Place-Based Education Partnership, at March-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, VT Apply for NPS 16 NERO 0149

Funding Number: NPS 16 NERO 0149
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $55,380
Development of Youth through Records Internship Program Apply for P16AS00490

Funding Number: P16AS00490
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $46,278
Education and Outreach Programs, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Apply for P16AS00436

Funding Number: P16AS00436
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $22,042
Archive Management With Student Interns Apply for P16AS00495

Funding Number: P16AS00495
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $88,150
Natural Resources Management Education and Training of Cottage Grove Area High School Students Apply for NWP 16 0003

Funding Number: NWP 16 0003
Agency: Department of Defense, USACE Portland District
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $12,500
Establishing an Archival/Records Management Partnership to Assist the National Park Service in Managing its Historically Valuable Records in the Washington Office Apply for P16AS00387

Funding Number: P16AS00387
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $299,988
Policy Development and Analysis Fellowship for Public Safety within the NPS Apply for P16AS00502

Funding Number: P16AS00502
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $139,949
Frederick Douglass Institute Student Think Tank Apply for P16AS00504

Funding Number: P16AS00504
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $42,000
Expansion of Urban Engagement Efforts in the Seattle Area Apply for P16AS00509

Funding Number: P16AS00509
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $46,555
Canal Steward Program Internship Apply for NPSNOICHOH1601410

Funding Number: NPSNOICHOH1601410
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Preschool Development Grants: Preschool Pay for Success Feasibility Pilot CFDA Number 84.419C Apply for ED GRANTS 082216 001

Funding Number: ED GRANTS 082216 001
Agency: Department of Education
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $40,000
SCA Museum Collections Intern Apply for P16AS00534

Funding Number: P16AS00534
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $46,334
Interpretive Programming for 50th Commemoration of Selma to Montgomery March Apply for P16AS00543

Funding Number: P16AS00543
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $196,340
Office of innovation and Improvement (OII): Investing in Innovation (I3) Fund: Development Grants Full Application CFDA Number 84.411C Apply for ED GRANTS 082416 001

Funding Number: ED GRANTS 082416 001
Agency: Department of Education
Category: Education
Funding Amount: $19,000,000

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

USGrants.org applicant portal membership

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "P16AS00466", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.