OpenOpportunity P26AS00055

National Parks Business Plan Internship

National Park Service · Department of the Interior

At a glance

National Parks Business Plan Internship is an open federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the National Park Service (Department of the Interior). Applications are due January 4, 2027. Individual awards are listed as up to $1.7M, with about 1 award expected and $1.7M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 5 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 15.954 (National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Posted: Sep 28, 2026
Close date: Jan 4, 2027
Archive date: Sep 1, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: $1,700,000
Est. total funding: $1,700,000
Expected awards: 1
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Private colleges & universities

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

In accordance with 54 USC §101702(a) [Formerly 16 U.S.C. 1g], the eligible applicants are State, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 6305.Foreign Entities or Projects: This program does not provide funding to foreign entities or for projects conducted outside the United States.Excluded Parties: NPS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The NPS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Parks Business Plan Internship (BPI) goal is to jointly administer a graduate-level internship program focused on improving the business management and operational health of our national parks and NPS programs.

The internship program should:

Provide students with in-depth training on NPS business management and operations, exposure to park and/or program level operations, and the opportunity to conduct substantive analysis and evaluation which lead to recommendations that improve strategic planning and management decision-making.
Encourage highly qualified graduate students from professional disciplines underrepresented in the NPS workforce (Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Policy, Master of Environmental Management, and similar degree programs) to explore federal careers with conservation and land management agencies.
Cultivate a lifelong stewardship ethic for public lands in graduate students from top universities.

Eligible recipients are State, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

15.954National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and EducationProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 15.954

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$32.9M

FY25

$58.1M

FY26

$120M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 15.954. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

National Park Service
rebecca_uber@ios.doi.gov
202-697-2035

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “National Parks Business Plan Internship”?

According to the official notice, applications are due January 4, 2027. The notice adds: “Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed application due date.” Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “National Parks Business Plan Internship”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits and Private colleges & universities. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “National Parks Business Plan Internship”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $1.7m, total estimated program funding is $1,700,000 and the agency expects to make about 1 awards.

How do I apply for “National Parks Business Plan Internship”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity P26AS00055), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 15.916