Who is eligible to receive a grant?
The TPS Regional Program awards grants to institutions and organizations such as literacy organizations, historical societies, museums, libraries, and after-school programs among others.
System for Award Management Registration
All applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application.
Award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). There is no cost to register with SAM.gov.
Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s IRS information.
There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com.
What is the target audience?
Organizations offering education or professional development programs.
What is the maximum amount of a TPS Regional grant award?
The TPS Regional Program makes grants of up to $25,000.
How long is the funding period?
The funding period is 18 months or less. If necessary, a sub-recipient may request a no-cost extension of the grant period.
What activities and expenses are allowable under a grant?
Grants can be used to cover the expenses associated with delivering TPS programming. Regional coordinators can answer specific questions about allowable project expenses.
Do TPS regional grants cover indirect costs?
The Library does not pay for indirect costs under this program.
Is it possible to receive multiple TPS Regional grants?
TPS is not a renewable funding source; funding is intended to be used to develop sustainable projects in your local environment. Requests for additional grants are considered on a case by case basis and awarded only when the project will support significantly greater impact.
Grantees are eligible for TPS Mini-Grant funding to present their TPS program at local and regional conferences, to help sustain local TPS institutes, and to fund impact investigations. See TPS Consortium Member Mini-Grants.
What is the process for applying for grants?
First, fill out the online Notice of Intent form found on the site for your region. If the regional coordinator determines that your project idea fits within the funding guidelines of the TPS Regional program, he or she will ask you to submit a full proposal.
What is the application deadline?
There is no application deadline. The TPS Regional Program accepts grants on an ongoing basis.
What information do you require to make grant decisions?
We will ask for information about your organization and its activities, the TPS programming that you intend to offer, the audience whom you will target, a list of institutional partners and their roles in the project, the expected outcomes, a timeline, and a budget narrative.
What criteria are used for granting decisions?
Regional Coordinators use panels of TPS professionals to review and evaluate submissions on the basis of:
- Expertise: the applicant's demonstrated history of providing high-quality curricula, materials, and tools focused on a specific subject or population;
- Need and Impact: experience, knowledge, and contacts within the broader targeted community that would support significant adoption and use of the tools or materials created; quality and use of previously created curricula, instructional materials and tools;
- Educational Networks and Affiliations: the applicant's leadership in educational network(s) that propagate teaching excellence in the field targeted by the proposal;
- Programmatic Financial Capability: witnessed by the soundness of the project plan and management of similar previous projects.
- Proposed Use of Library Resources: extent to which the proposed project incorporates primary sources from the online collections and other resources of the Library of Congress and the degree to which analysis of Library of Congress resources is critical to building understanding of key concepts within the proposed activities.
- Past Activities: applicant demonstrates the institutional capacity to successfully complete the project.
- Budget/Project Costs: the applicant's proposal will achieve the program objectives with reasonable economy and efficiency.
- Eastern Region Grant Application Rubric
How long do funding decisions take?
Regional coordinators make funding decisions within six to eight weeks from the submission of a full application.
What reporting requirements exist once I receive a grant?
The TPS Regional program requires that grantees submit brief quarterly reports indicating any workshop, courses, or products delivered. A final narrative report is due at the end of the project.
Single Audit Reporting
All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.
How can I get more information?
Please contact the coordinator for your region.
How do I submit my proposal?
Submit your completed proposal and supporting documentation using this online form. You will receive a copy of the proposal via email. Review of the proposal generally takes six to eight weeks.
What is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number and Title for this funding?
The CFDA number for this funding opportunity is 42.010 with the CFDA title, “Teaching with Primary Sources.”
Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program
does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
Citations for TPS Eastern Region Publications