Funder: Interior Business Center
Due Dates: June 9, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EDT / 5:59 p.m. HST)
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 per award; minimum $50,000; total program funding $1,000,000; project period up to 36 months
Summary: Supports Native Hawaiian organizations in economic development, cultural preservation, and regenerative tourism in Hawaii.
Key Information: No cost sharing required; only Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) are eligible.
Description
This funding opportunity, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center in partnership with the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR), aims to support Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) in advancing economic development, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting regenerative tourism in Hawaii. The program is part of the implementation of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (NATIVE Act), focusing on empowering NHOs to create jobs, elevate living standards, and expand economic opportunities while ensuring tourism activities respect Hawaii’s unique cultural and natural resources.
The program encourages projects that:
- Showcase Native Hawaiian heritage, places, arts, foods, traditions, and history.
- Identify, enhance, revive, or maintain cultural traditions, ancestral spaces (wahi kupuna), and sacred sites (wahi pana).
- Provide authentic and respectful visitor experiences.
- Uplift and perpetuate traditional Native Hawaiian practices through demonstrations, education, and hands-on experiences.
- Support the maintenance and protection of Hawaii’s natural and cultural resources impacted by tourism.
- Enhance entrepreneurial capacity and business development within the Native Hawaiian community.
Due Dates
- Application Deadline: June 9, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) / 5:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST)
- Anticipated Project Start Date: October 1, 2025
- Project Period: Up to 36 months (no later than September 30, 2028)
Funding Amount
- Total Program Funding: $1,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $200,000 per project
- Award Floor: $50,000 per project
- Expected Number of Awards: Approximately 10
- Cost Sharing/Match: Not required
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs), defined as nonprofit organizations that:
- Serve the interests of Native Hawaiians.
- Have Native Hawaiians in substantive and policymaking positions.
- Are recognized for expertise in Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including tourism.
Eligible entity types include:
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- Others, as clarified in the full announcement
Applicants must provide an attestation or documentation confirming their eligibility as an NHO.
Application Process
- Registration: Applicants must register in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Registration can take several weeks—start early.
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. GrantSolutions.gov is also accepted.
- Required Documents:
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- SF-424A (Budget Information)
- Project Abstract Summary
- Project Narrative (max 15 pages)
- Budget Justification and Narrative
- Attestation of NHO eligibility
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure
- Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement
- Key Contacts Form
- Letters of Support (optional)
- Formatting: Project Narrative must be single-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins, max 15 pages (excluding images/maps).
- Review Process: Applications are screened for eligibility, then undergo a merit review based on technical merit, work plan, monitoring and evaluation, qualifications, and budget.
Additional Information
- Pre-Submittal Information Sessions: Two video conferences will be held for interested applicants (April 21 and May 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. HST). Details will be posted on the ONHR website.
- Reporting Requirements: Recipients must submit financial and performance reports as specified in the Notice of Award.
- Indirect Costs: De minimis rate (up to 15%) or negotiated rate may be used.
- No cost sharing is required.
- Projects must comply with federal environmental and geospatial data standards if applicable.
External Links
Contact Information