Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00466
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).
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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.
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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 |
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