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Detailed Requirements

ESHPF Disaster Assistance Grants for Historic Resources

Please take time to familiarize yourself with the requirements of this program before you complete the ESHPF application by reading the following instructions.  Please note: There are individual application forms for 1) pre-development and development projects; 2) architectural survey/inventory, and threat mitigation projects, and; 3) archaeological survey, data recovery, and stabilization projects. After completing Step 1 of the application process, additional instructions and required documents will be made available to you.

CFDA: 15.957
Grant Program: Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund
Project Title: Florence and Michael Post-disaster Recovery for Historic Resources
Incident Periods: Hurricane Florence in Virginia: September 8, 2018; Hurricane Michael in Virginia: October 9, 2018

PUBLIC PURPOSE

The ESHPF Grant Program may be awarded to private owners, not-for-profit organizations, and public administrators of historic properties only in the areas of Virginia identified in FEMA major disaster declarations 4401 and 4411. Funds may be requested for the planning for (pre-development) and/or the implementation of repairs (development) to historic properties (defined as historic districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects) that are:

• National Historic Landmarks (NHL) or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR); including those contributing to the significance of a NR historic district; or
• Determined eligible for listing by the Keeper of the National Register (the Keeper); or
• Listed in the Tribal Register (TR) or determined eligible for listing by the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO).
• Architectural and archaeological survey and inventory of historic resources to determine eligibility, degree of damage, and provide preparedness for future disasters.
• The execution of projects to mitigate the threat of damage to eligible historic properties from future natural disasters.

NON-NEGOTIABLE COMPLIANCE

Applicants are advised that all awards from the ESHPF Grant Program require specific and non-negotiable compliance with federal and state requirements regarding, but not limited to: scope of work; procurement of services; insurance and liability; indemnification; financial disclosure, accounting procedures, and records maintenance. All such requirement are detailed in the Sub-Award Agreement that must be executed between sub-awardees and DHR upon acceptance of any program funding. DHR and applicants are encouraged to read and be aware of the programmatic and administrative requirements of the grant program in advance of making application to it. In addition, the requirements, policies and procedures that are the basis of those outlined in the Sub-Award agreement are fully explained in the Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual, which can be accessed online at https://www.nps.gov/preservation-grants/HPF_Manual.pdf. If you cannot comply with the program requirements, please do not apply.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. The maximum amount that can be funded by the ESHPF Grant Program per project is $250,000.
2. Sub-award recipients must have a satisfactory record of integrity, sound judgment, and satisfactory performance, especially with prior grants and contracts awarded by state or federal agencies.
3. All projects receiving repair assistance must enter into a preservation agreement with DHR or easement with the Virginia Board of Historic Resources (BHR) based on the terms defined by the National Park Service, DHR and/or the BHR.
4. Properties determined eligible and not listed that receive funding must complete and submit a National Register nomination as part of the project, in which case the cost of preparing the nomination is an eligible sub-award expense.
5. All work shall be performed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
6. All work funding by this program must be agreed upon by DHR. Projects exceeding $30,000 must also be approved by the NPS.
7. Projects may include Administration, Development, National Register, Planning, Survey and Inventory, and Review and Compliance as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
8. Publicly-owned projects must comply with the ADA, ABA, and Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
9. Damage documentation must be provided with this application (defined as, at minimum, one before/pre-damage and one after/post-damage photograph).
10. Budgets must contain a calculation or reference an estimate document that contains a calculation showing how the budget amount has been derived.
11. Prior to initiating any work, applicants must: 1) obtain liability insurance, or; 2) demonstrate financial resources to be present in an amount determined sufficient by the Government to cover claims brought by third parties for death, bodily injury, property damage, or other loss resulting from the funded activities as outlined in the ESHPF Sub-Award Agreement to be executed upon sub-award acceptance.
12. Applicant shall agree to the indemnification requirements established by DHR and the NPS as outlined in the ESHPF Sub-Award Agreement to be executed upon sub-award acceptance.
13. Sub-Award recipients must register and maintain their registration with the federal System for Award Management (SAM), accessed at http://www.sam.gov. SAM registration should be initiated as part of this application process, and registration must be completed prior to execution of the sub-award agreement.
14. Indirect costs will not be allowable charges against a Sub-Award unless specifically included as a line item in the budget incorporated into the Sub-Award based on the information provided herein.
15. Development (construction) projects require proof of property ownership in the form of a copy of the deed. Proof of ownership must accompany this application.
16. Not-for-profit applicants must supply proof of nonprofit status via copy of IRS letter of determination prior to execution of the sub-award agreement.
17. Applicant must have an adequate accounting system and auditing procedures to provide effective accountability and control of property, funds, and assets sufficient to meet audit requirements. Acquisition of professional accounting support is an eligible expense under the terms of the ESHPF grant program.

AND, by submitting this application, applicants certify that, in addition to Requirement 12 above, they have the necessary experience, organization, technical qualifications, and facilities to complete the proposed project to DHR and NPS standards, OR hereby pledge to secure or otherwise obtain them prior to entering into an ESHFS sub-award agreement.

WHAT IS NOT FUNDED

•         Indirect and Direct Administrative costs (combined) that exceed 25% of project budget.
•         Construction of new buildings.
•         Acquisition of collections or historic sites.
•         Conservation of collections.
•         Long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period.
•         Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists).
•         Moving historic properties or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the NRHP.
•         Cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fund-raising costs.
•         Work performed prior to announcement of award, except for work associated with storm damage that occurred after the FEMA-declared disaster period.
•         Work on sites or collections owned by the NPS or other federal agency.
•         Lobbying or advocacy activities.
•         Costs for work already completed or funded through other federal programs.
•         Miscellaneous costs, contingencies, reserves, and overhead.

PROJECT COMPLETION

It is expected that Sub-Award Recipients will have a maximum of 24 months to complete projects. The project start date is the date of full execution of the Sub-Award Agreement. Construction contracts must be executed within six months of the project start date. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the cancellation of the grant award. DHR anticipates that the grant contracts and project initiation, including meeting with DHR staff if necessary, will be complete by 8/30/2020. All projects must be completed and approved by DHR by 8/30/2023.

RECAPTURE OF GRANT AWARDS DUE TO SALE OF PROPERTY

In the event that a privately owned property is sold within a five-year period after completion of the project, the following recapture provision shall apply: If the property is sold within the first year after completion of the project, one-hundred percent (100%) of the fund awarded shall be returned to the State, with a twenty percent (20%) reduction per year thereafter.  

POTENTIAL TAX CREDITS

Work performed under this grant program may impact other work approvals and cannot be claimed for potential tax credits. Work approved under this grant shall in no way inhibit or preclude others from applying for federal assistance through other programs overseen or reviewed by NPS, such as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive for Income Producing Structures. It shall be understood that approvals through this grant funding are not transferable to other NPS or NPS sponsored programs. 

RELIGIOUS PROPERTIES

Religious institutions may participate in the Historic Preservation Fund Grant Program consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 302905), which authorizes certain grants for religious properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Religious properties listed in the National Register are eligible to participate in this grant assistance program because the federal government has a strong interest in preserving all sites of historic significance regardless of their religious or secular character; because eligibility for this program extends to a broad class of beneficiaries defined without reference to religion; and because the criteria for funding must be applied neutrally. These elements show that this grant program is aimed solely at preserving historic structures and does not constitute an endorsement of religion by the government. (This supersedes Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual, Chapter 5823 p.5-8 and Chapter 683,p.6-6 and Chapter 13D7 p.13-16).

GRANT SELECTION AND SCORING

The ESHPF is a competitive grant program and each application will be scored according to a pre‐determined set of criteria. Each application will be reviewed for eligibility and, if determined eligible, will be rated according to the Grant Selection Criteria noted below:

1. Historic Significance of the property or properties.
2. Degree and nature of the damage, severity of threat to the property.
3. Applicant’s ability to complete the project promptly and successfully; project planning, administrative structures and budget demonstrate fiscal prudence and readiness to proceed.
4. Ability of the project to address/correct the storm-related damage and whether the funds awarded will achieve a significant preservation objective and meet preservation standards.
5. Degree to which local historic preservation needs will be met and a public benefit achieved.
6. Completeness and accuracy of the grant application.

SUB AWARD NOTIFICATION

Applications will be reviewed and applications with the highest scores will be selected for funding. DHR reserves the right to fund all or a portion of the proposed project. DHR anticipates that applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process no later than June 30, 2020.

SUB-AWARD ADMINISTRATION

Once a sub-award is announced, applicants (sub-award recipients) will enter into a sub-award agreement with DHR. The contract will include the budget, scope of work and performance timeline and standard clauses. Sub-award agreement must be signed and returned to DHR within 30 days of receipt. DHR will reimburse Sub-award Recipients for allowable, documented expenses only. Sub-award Recipients are required to credit DHR and the NPS in all print, audio, video, internet and publicity materials.

REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT

Sub-awards are reimbursement grants. Sub-award recipients must document and provide proof of expenditures and submit for reimbursement as instructed in the Sub-Award Agreement.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL REVIEW

1. Pre‐Development/Planning documents for Development projects must be pre‐approved by DHR.
2. Construction plans and specifications must be approved by DHR before going to bid/construction.
3. The use of state and/or federal funds requires a competitive bidding process.
4. Contractors cannot be pre‐selected and any potential contractor cannot play any role in the design of the project or application.
5. Goods and services must be procured in a manner so as to assure the prudent and economical use of grant moneys, to facilitate the acquisition of goods and services of maximum quality at the lowest possible cost under the circumstances, and to guard against favoritism, improvidence, extravagance, fraud and corruption.
6. Grantees will be required to describe and document the procurement process and means used to obtain their proposed contractor(s) in a format prescribed by DHR.
7. All work must have prior approval of DHR.
8. Any changes in the scope of work must be reviewed and approved by DHR prior to the work commencing.
9. Failure to obtain approval may result in the cancellation of all or part of the grant award.
10. All reimbursements for Development/Construction projects must be satisfactorily documented so that the DHR can ensure work was done to the Secretary of the Interior Standards. Failure to comply with these requirements could jeopardize full reimbursement.
11. A project sign approved by DHR is required to be displayed at the project site.

GROUND DISTURBING ACTIVITY

Sub-Award Recipients must consult with DHR prior to undertaking any ground‐disturbing activity (e.g., trenching, grading, demolition, new construction). Unless substantial ground disturbance can be documented, an archaeological survey may be required. Documentation of prior ground disturbance, or the results of archaeological testing, must be reviewed and approved by DHR (before ground‐disturbing activity occurs). DHR staff is available to assist with archaeological assessments prior to the commencement of ground-disturbing activities.

GRANT CANCELLATIONS

DHR has the right to withhold, reduce or cancel grants as outlined in the Sub-Award Agreement including:

• Failure to comply with the terms of the grant contract
• Failure to start a project within 90 days of the grant contract execution
• Inadequate financial management or oversight
• Failure to properly credit DHR and NPS support
• Unauthorized changes in the scope of work
• Undertaking work without prior approval of DHR
• Significant delays in the grant project
• Non-compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards