Kapapahuliau Grant Program

This grant program is cooperatively administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) as part of the U.S. Government Interagency Agreement between the Office

Kapapahuliau implements the intent of the following Administration Priorities: 1) EO 14414: Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience; 2) EO 14308: Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response; 3) EO 14276: Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness; 4) EO 14225: Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production; and 5) Invasive Species Mitigation: supports efforts to protect the security of the United States from invasive species, consistent with the priorities articulated in E.O. 14239, 14308, and 14313 and the National Farm Security Action Plan. In alignment with the above Administration initiatives and the overarching Program Goal and Guiding Principles, the Kapapahuliau Program has been designed with four (4) Priorities of focus. Applicant projects will need to address at least one of the following: 1. Wildfire mitigation and upland erosion control through planning, agriculture, and environmental restoration (e.g., fire breaks, fuel load reduction, soil stabilization, and revegetation - including for native species timber production and traditional agricultural practices); 2. Flood and drought mitigation using traditional Native Hawaiian agricultural and aquacultural systems to decrease nearshore sedimentation and coastal flood impacts, improve groundwater recharge, increase water access, and enhance food availability; 3. Tidal inundation and coastal erosion adaptation to protect infrastructure, Native Hawaiian burial sites, traditional aquacultural systems, and other wahi pana (historic and sacred places); 4. Invasive species management to mitigate impacts on Native Hawaiian livelihood activities (e.g., traditional practices, economics, tourism, etc.), and ecosystem services (e.g., sedimentation, fresh water, food, and native biodiversity) while supporting habitat conservation.

NATIVE HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION. For this financial assistance opportunity, the term "Native Hawaiian Organization" or "NHO" means an organization - (A) that principally serves or benefits the Native Hawaiian Community, (B) that is composed primarily of Native Hawaiians, who control or serve in substantive leadership and decision-making roles; and (C) that has demonstrated expertise in Native Hawaiian heritage, economic development, health and well-being, self-governance, and natural and cultural resource management. Native Hawaiian Community means the distinct Native Hawaiian indigenous political community that Congress, exercising its plenary power over Native American affairs, has recognized and with which Congress has implemented a special political and trust relationship. Native Hawaiian means any individual who is a descendant of the aboriginal people who, prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now constitutes the State of Hawai'i. Applicants seeking financial assistance through this funding opportunity must submit a written attestation or certification from their governing body (such as the Executive Director, CEO, or Board of Directors). This document should confirm that the applicant organization qualifies as a "Native Hawaiian Organization" as defined in the section above and that it is authorized to apply for financial assistance. Additionally, the attestation must include supporting information that demonstrates how the organization meets the specified criteria.

The beneficiary of this program is the Native Hawaiian Community (Native Hawaiian Community means the distinct Native Hawaiian indigenous political community that Congress, exercising its plenary power over Native American affairs, has recognized and with which Congress has implemented a special political and trust relationship. [43 CFR Part 50 (§50.4)])

The funds may be used by programs to address specific priorities within the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and to reduce the impacts of adverse and severe weather events using Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge. Funds may go towards staffing, equipment, supplies, travel, contracts, and other related expenses related to approved project activities. Indirect organizational costs may also be claimed in accordance with the specific guidance in the Notice of Funding and subsequent grant agreement.

The funds may be used by programs to address specific priorities within the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and to reduce the impacts of adverse and severe weather events using Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge. Funds may go towards staffing, equipment, supplies, travel, contracts, and other related expenses related to approved project activities. Indirect organizational costs may also be claimed in accordance with the specific guidance in the Notice of Funding and subsequent grant agreement.

Assistance is pending for FY2025. Grant timeline is pursuant to the terms and conditions of the award and the authority under which the funds were appropriated. All funds must be spent by FY2031. Specific requirements are included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the award's terms and conditions. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Grant payments will be made through the Department of Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Please see individual notices of federal funding opportunities for details on how each award will be released.

First Level Screening -Basic Eligibility -- During the Eligibility Review, the application is checked for timely submission, completed packages, and alignment with the eligibility requirements of this announcement. The Federal agency may remove an application if it does not pass the Eligibility Review. Second Level Evaluation -- Specific Merit Review Evaluation is stated in each Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov. Applications will be evaluated according to the merit criteria in the NOFO, with the relative weights described. Applications may earn a maximum of 100 points. Each criterion also includes the factors the reviewers will consider, determining how well an application meets the criterion. Applicants are encouraged to make explicit connections to the evaluation criteria in their applications. Applications that best address these criteria will be most competitive and final selection recommendations will be made from the review panel ranking. Third Level Review Pre-Award Clearance and Approvals -- The Financial Assistance Officer will also complete a financial and operations evaluation and determination of responsibility. During these evaluations the Financial Assistance Officer will evaluate variables such as: System for Award Management (SAM.GOV) Responsibility and Qualification (Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System), financial stability, quality of management systems, past performance meeting prior award terms and conditions, reports and findings of audits performed, and applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements.

All applications will be initially screened for eligibility and compliance with the requirements stated in the notice of funding opportunity, program regulations, and statutes. All timely submitted and qualified proposals are reviewed by program staff and a financial assistance official. Unsuccessful applicants will receive notice in writing. All approved grants will be awarded using GrantSolutions. Recipient requests for reimbursement will be made using the U.S. Department of Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP).

Further information will be available in the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes.

Not Applicable. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, through the Interior Business Center, will provide all applicants with information on why their application submission was not selected for award and welcomes any related feedback on its granting process.