Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program Issues Request for Interpretive Project Pre-Proposals
Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in coordination with NEIWPCC, seeks proposals for projects that highlight the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, or that support additional interpretive goals of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP).
Pre-proposals may fall into one of two categories: CVNHP Special Program or CVNHP Core Grant Program.
CVNHP Special Program projects will interpret, highlight, and support marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2027. This grant category will prioritize multi-jurisdictional or regional projects. Funding requests between $10,000 and $40,000 will be considered in this category.
CVNHP Core Grant Program projects may fall under one of five subcategories:
- Making of Nations Interpretive Theme Grants: Projects will interpret the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2027, or other concepts, innovations, or movements that have had lasting regional, national, or global effects. Funding requests of up to $10,000 will be considered.
- Conservation and Community Interpretive Theme Grants: Projects will support the “Biosphere in Your Backyard” campaign developed by the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network. Projects should emphasize natural heritage and human interaction with the landscape in the Lake Champlain Basin and Adirondack Park. Funding requests of up to $10,000 will be considered.
- Local Heritage Grants: This category supports educational endeavors that involve youth in the exploration of their community’s cultural and natural heritage, as well as the creation of new interpretations using contemporary perspectives or technology. Funding requests of up to $5,000 will be considered for local projects, and up to $10,000 for regional, multi-jurisdictional projects.
- Collections Grants: This category supports the inventory, conservation, and interpretation of museum and library collections. Facility improvement projects are eligible for funding within this category. Funding requests of up to $10,000 will be considered.
- Internship Grants: This funding opportunity supports internships that provide experience in historical or natural interpretation or artifact curation, cataloguing, and display, with exposure to museum or historic site management during the tourism season. Funding requests of up to $10,000 will be considered.
“The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution provides a significant opportunity to interpret the way our region shaped—and was shaped by—this period in history,” said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the CVNHP and LCBP. “We also look forward to supporting a wide variety of interpretive and educational efforts through the Core Grant Program.”
This grant opportunity is supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC by the U.S. National Park Service on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Proposals should offer a scope that supports work in the U.S. portion of the Lake Champlain Basin and the Adirondack Park. All awards are subject to funding availability.
The CVNHP was established by the U.S. Congress in 2006 to recognize the importance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the region and to assist efforts to preserve, protect, and interpret those resources. The National Heritage Area also works to enhance the quality of the tourism economy and to encourage working partnerships among state, provincial, and local governments and non-profit organizations in New York, Québec, and Vermont.
Proposals are due on at 5:00 p.m. on October 20, 2025. A subset of applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in November 2025. Projects are targeted to begin work in December 2026 and must be completed by March 2028. The proposal guidelines, list of eligible entities, submission requirements, and an electronic submission application link are available on the CVNHP website at https://champlainvalleynhp.org/resources/grants/.
The 16th annual CVNHP International Summit will be held in Plattsburgh, New York on September 22, 2025. While attendance is not required, the summit hosts a Foundant primer and offers networking opportunities to develop competitive projects for this funding opportunity. Please register at this link.
For more information about the CVNHP Request for Pre-proposals, please contact CVNHP Assistant Director Jim Brangan at jbrangan@lcbp.org.
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The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.
