Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00115
The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management MT/DAK Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00115) is a discretionary federal funding program offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is focused on supporting work under BLM's Montana/Dakotas Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs, which generally includes efforts to identify, evaluate, protect, manage, and better understand cultural resources (such as archaeological sites, historic properties, and traditional cultural places) and paleontological resources (such as fossils) on public lands administered by BLM in the MT/DAK region. Awards under this opportunity are made as cooperative agreements, meaning recipients should expect substantial involvement from BLM in planning, coordination, oversight, or execution of project activities compared with a more hands-off grant.
Funding is listed under CFDA 15.224, and the activity category is Natural Resources. The opportunity was created on November 15, 2023, and the original closing date was January 15, 2024. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $750,000. The posting indicates expected awards, but the specific number is not provided in the source information.
Eligibility is broad but explicitly excludes individuals and for-profit organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations (that are not federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). In practical terms, the program is positioned for public agencies, tribes and tribal entities, universities, and nonprofits that can partner with BLM to carry out cultural and paleontological resource management work aligned with BLM priorities in Montana and the Dakotas.
Two important restrictions are highlighted in the notice. First, individuals and for-profit organizations cannot apply, which is a straightforward eligibility bar. Second, this NOFO is not intended to support projects that involve hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific authority, and that projects specifically designed around youth intern or crew hiring through that mechanism should instead go through a different opportunity: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. As a result, applicants should design proposals around professional, institutional, or partner-led capacity rather than framing the work as a Public Lands Corps-style internship/crew program.
The notice also calls out the role of Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnership networks meant to promote and provide research, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and education. If an applicant is a CESU partner and the award is made under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement that aligns with the CESU purpose, there is a specific indirect cost limitation: indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are encouraged to state clearly whether their proposal advances the CESU mission and, if so, identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. This matters for both administrative handling and budgeting, particularly for universities or organizations accustomed to higher negotiated indirect rates, because the CESU cap can affect the recoverable indirect amount and therefore the project budget structure.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as funding for collaborative, BLM-priority cultural heritage and paleontology projects in the Montana/Dakotas BLM context, implemented through cooperative agreements with active federal involvement. Strong applications would typically be expected to show clear relevance to BLM-managed lands and program needs, demonstrate technical competence in cultural and/or paleontology resource management, present a realistic scope and budget that fits within the cooperative agreement framework, and address any indirect cost implications, especially if submitted through a CESU partnership arrangement.Apply for L24AS00115
- The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management MT/DAK Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.224.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-15. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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FAQs: FY24 IIJA/IRA BLM MT/DAK Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management (L24AS00115)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) focused on Cultural Heritage and Paleontology work in the BLM Montana/Dakotas (MT/DAK) region.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L24AS00115.
Who is the funding agency?
The funding agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What type of award will BLM make under this opportunity?
Awards are made as cooperative agreements. That means recipients should expect substantial involvement by BLM compared with a more hands-off grant, including active participation in planning, coordination, oversight, and/or execution of project activities.
What program area does this opportunity support?
The opportunity supports work under BLM's Montana/Dakotas Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs, generally covering efforts to identify, evaluate, protect, manage, and better understand cultural and paleontological resources on BLM-administered public lands in the MT/DAK region.
What are examples of resources this funding is meant to address?
Cultural resources can include archaeological sites, historic properties, and traditional cultural places. Paleontological resources can include fossils.
What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA/Assistance Listing number provided is 15.224.
What is the activity category?
The activity category listed is Natural Resources.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The posting was created on November 15, 2023. The original closing date was January 15, 2024.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling (maximum award amount) is $750,000.
How many awards does BLM expect to make?
The posting indicates expected awards, but the specific number of expected awards is not provided in the source information.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Other tribal organizations (not federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
Who is not eligible to apply?
Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly not eligible to apply under this opportunity.
Is this opportunity intended for work on any lands, or specifically on BLM-managed lands?
Based on the opportunity description, the focus is on cultural and paleontological resources on public lands administered by BLM in the Montana/Dakotas region.
What is the geographic focus of the program?
The focus is the BLM MT/DAK region (Montana and the Dakotas) under BLM's Montana/Dakotas Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs.
What does "substantial involvement" by BLM mean in practice?
Because the award instrument is a cooperative agreement, applicants should plan for active collaboration with BLM, which can include coordination on work planning, ongoing oversight, and participation in implementing or shaping project activities.
Can an application be centered on hiring interns or youth crews under the Public Lands Corps Act?
No. The notice states this NOFO is not intended to support projects that involve hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. Projects specifically designed around Public Lands Corps-style youth intern or crew hiring should be directed to a different opportunity: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands.
Why does the notice exclude Public Lands Corps-style intern or crew hiring?
The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific authority. Because of that, projects built around that mechanism are expected to be pursued through the separate youth-focused opportunity rather than this one.
If we want to include youth, interns, or crews, what should we do?
Based on the notice language provided, projects specifically designed around youth intern or crew hiring through the Public Lands Corps mechanism should be pursued through NOFO 15.243 (BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands), not under L24AS00115.
What is CESU and why does it matter for this opportunity?
CESU stands for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units. CESUs are partnership networks intended to promote and provide research, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and education. The notice highlights CESU because, if an award is issued under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement that aligns with the CESU purpose, a specific indirect cost limitation applies.
What is the CESU indirect cost cap mentioned in the notice?
If the applicant is a CESU partner and the award is made under a Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5% of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
Does the CESU cap apply to every applicant?
The notice ties the 17.5% indirect cost limitation to situations where the applicant is a CESU partner and the award is made under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement that aligns with the CESU purpose.
What is a NICRA and how does it relate to budgeting here?
NICRA refers to a federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. The notice states that, for CESU awards, the indirect cost cap is applied against the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's NICRA, which can affect how much indirect cost can be recovered and how the overall project budget is structured.
If we are a CESU partner, what should we include in the proposal?
Applicants are encouraged to state clearly whether their proposal advances the CESU mission and, if so, identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. This can affect both administrative handling and budgeting (including the indirect cost cap).
What kinds of applicants is this opportunity best suited for?
Based on the eligibility list and program description, the opportunity is positioned for public agencies, tribes and tribal entities, universities, and nonprofits that can partner with BLM to carry out cultural and paleontological resource management work aligned with BLM priorities in Montana and the Dakotas.
What characteristics would a strong project proposal typically show?
Based on the description provided, strong applications would typically demonstrate:
- Clear relevance to BLM-managed lands and BLM program needs in the MT/DAK region
- Technical competence in cultural resource and/or paleontology resource management
- A realistic scope and budget appropriate for a cooperative agreement with active federal involvement
- Awareness of indirect cost implications, especially if submitting through a CESU arrangement subject to the 17.5% cap
Is this program strictly for cultural resources, or can it support paleontology work too?
It supports both Cultural Heritage and Paleontology program work, including managing and improving understanding of cultural resources and paleontological resources (such as fossils) on BLM-administered lands in the MT/DAK region.
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| FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming (WY) Recreation and Visitor Services Program Apply for L24AS00167 Funding Number: L24AS00167 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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