DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Division of Historical ResourcesViva Florida 500
Small Matching Historic Preservation Grants
Formal Solicitation for Applications
May 1, 2012 – June 29, 2012
for Fiscal Year 2013-2014
The purpose of this notice is to formally announce that the Florida Department of State is currently soliciting applications for Small Matching Grant-in-Aid assistance for historic preservation projects. Special consideration will be given to proposals that reflect the goals and purposes of the Viva Florida 500 Initiative. For information on topics central to Viva Florida 500, please visit www.vivaflorida.org and www.fla500.com. Projects must be associated with Historic Preservation in Florida and must meet guidelines under Chapter 1A-39, Florida Administrative Code.
The solicitation period begins May 1, 2012, and extends through June 29, 2012. A preview of the online application will be available at www.flheritage.com/grants and submissions of the application will be accepted beginning May 1, 2012. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on June 29, 2012. Application attachments must be delivered to the Bureau of Historic Preservation, R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250, no later than 5:00 p.m., June 29, 2012, OR be clearly postmarked on or before June 29, 2012, OR show evidence of submission to an express mail service on or before June 29, 2012. Arrangements for the submission of paper applications may be made by calling the Bureau at (850)245-6333 or toll free at 1(800)847-7278.
GRANT PERIOD
If awarded, all grants will begin July 1, 2013 and expire June 30, 2014.
FUNDS AVAILABLE
State-Funded Small Matching Grant Applications:
Funding availability will depend upon legislative appropriation during the 2013 Legislative Session. Recommended grant awards will not exceed $50,000.00.
Federally-Funded CLG Small Matching Grant Applications:
Further, it is projected that at least $118,250 will be made available for Certified Local Government (CLG) program grants for conducting survey and planning, community education, and registration projects. These funds will be comprised of the required 10% of Florida’s 2013 Federal Historic Preservation Fund apportionment, and will be available only to those local governments that are already CLG-certified or meet the requirements of item (d) below. Applicants are not required to provide match for these CLG applications. A list of currently designated CLGs may be viewed at: http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/clg/docs/ CLG_list.pdf.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
Eligible applicants include:
(a) Departments or agencies of the State of Florida (including state universities);
(b) Units of county, municipal or other local governments;
(c) Any Florida not-for-profit corporation, institution, or organization; and
(d) Certified Local Governments or any local government that has received such certification by June 29, 2012.
Non-secular organizations are eligible to apply for grant-in-aid assistance. However, eligible development activities involving non-secular properties are limited to work on the exterior of the property and only those interior activities that are essential to the preservation of the structural integrity of the property.
PROJECTS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING
Small Matching grant funds will be available to support both Acquisition & Development and Protection & Education activities.
Acquisition & Development projects include acquisition, preservation, protection, restoration, rehabilitation and stabilization of historical and archaeological properties; also the investigation of archaeological sites, the taking of photographs, the preparation of measured drawings and such other records as are necessary to record historical and archaeological sites and properties threatened with damage or destruction; and planning for eligible Acquisition & Development activities, such as the preparation of plans and specifications.
Protection & Education projects include survey and evaluation of historical and archaeological properties; preparation of data for and the actual listing or registering of historical and archaeological properties in the Florida Master Site File or the National Register of Historic Places; preparation of long-range historic preservation and management plans for historical and archaeological properties; development of automated information systems to facilitate the recording of property data or to facilitate the management of information on other subjects pertaining to historic preservation; community education and community relations projects promoting the preservation of historical and archaeological properties in general; research to study the effectiveness and results of historic preservation programs, methods and techniques; research of historical documents for the purpose of documenting and evaluating the significance of historical and archaeological properties; and use of staff or a private consultant hired through appropriate procurement standards to organize a Certified Local Government program or its components.
NON-MATCHING SPECIAL PROJECTS
Small Matching grant funds will also be made available to support the following Non-Matching Special Projects. These projects do not require a match. The Grant Review Panels reserve the right to decline to recommend funding for any applications in these areas if, in the judgment of the Bureau and the Panel, the goals of these areas would not be sufficiently met. The following Non-Matching Special Projects are of statewide significance, and if recommended by the panel and the Secretary of State, will receive top rankings in the Viva Florida 500 Historic Preservation Grants Recommended List that will be submitted to the Legislature.
1. Phase II of the production of the color booklet, Florida French Heritage Trail
A maximum of $25,000 will be available for this project. Multiple applications will compete to determine the best and the most cost-effective project. In addition to a historical overview of the history and influence of the French in Florida, the booklet will include a listing and map of publicly accessible sites organized by region and county; sidebars of special interest; and biographies of significant individuals. Phase I of the project, the research, writing and gathering of photographic materials, has already been accomplished internally by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. The content of Phase I of the project is currently available at www.VivaFlorida.org. This grant project, Phase II, will include additional photo selection and copyright permissions, creation of a statewide map showing publically accessible French sites, graphic design, layout, printing, delivery, and distribution of at least 15,000 copies the completed book, as well as delivery of digital format for use on the Department of State website.
The booklet will be similar in layout to preceding issues in the Florida Heritage Trail series also developed through historic preservation grant funding, such as Florida Native American Heritage Trail, Florida World War II Heritage Trail, Florida Women’s Heritage Trail, Florida Black Heritage Trail, and the Florida Civil War Heritage Trail. For copies of these booklets, please contact the Division of Historical Resources at 1(800)847-7278. The Florida French Heritage Trail should follow the format of the Florida Spanish Colonial Heritage Trail, in that it should be bilingual. The Florida French Heritage Trail content will be translated into French prior award of this grant and will be provided to the awardee.
2. Full production of the color booklet, Florida British Heritage Trail
A maximum of $50,000 will be available to produce a Florida British Heritage Trail booklet. Multiple applications will compete to determine the best and the most cost-effective project. The content and design of the publication will follow the layout of the Florida Department of State’s Florida Heritage Trail publication series mentioned in item 1 above. Content shall include but not be limited to a background essay on the overall history of the British in Florida; listing and description of approximately 40 or more publicly accessible sites organized by region and county; and sidebars of special interest sites and biographies of significant individuals. The proposal shall include a methodology for the selection of sites and coordination with the Division of Historical Resources on these selections. The proposal shall include cost estimates for development, design and delivery of a minimum of 15,000 printed copies of the full color final product, as well as delivery of an identical digital format for use on the Department of State website.
3. Florida Main Street Program
Newly selected Florida Main Street communities will be eligible for non-matching Main Street “start-up” grants of $10,000.
GENERAL PRIORITIES
Historic Preservation
The goal of the Bureau is to locate, identify and protect the significant historic properties of the state as rapidly as possible to provide a basis for effective preservation planning throughout the state. In accordance with the application evaluation criteria outlined in Chapter 1A-39, Florida Administrative Code (“Division of Historical Resources Grants Programs”), projects within each category shall be compatible with the following priorities:
A. Survey Priorities
1. Surveys to identify, evaluate and document historic properties and archaeological sites associated with Florida’s minority heritage.
2. Surveys of broad areas where no previous surveys have been undertaken.
3. Surveys located in areas subject to intensive development pressure.
4. Surveys designed to complete comprehensive coverage of areas in which partial surveys have been made.
5. Surveys that address historic themes not covered or under-represented in previous surveys.
B. Registration (National Register) Priorities
1. Registration of historical resources identified by previous survey activity.
2. Registration of properties of national significance, and not previously listed in the National Register.
3. Registration of properties of statewide or local significance, and not previously listed in the National Register.
C. Planning Priorities
1. Development of historic preservation elements (or historic preservation components of coastal management, future land use or housing elements) of Local Government Comprehensive Plans.
2. Development of plans for informing the public as to the economic and other benefits of preserving historical resources.
3. Development of protection tools, such as local ordinances.
4. Implementation of automated information systems to facilitate the recording of site data or information on other historic preservation subjects.
D. Community Education Priorities
1. Historic preservation education programs for school children.
2. Projects having to do with minority historic preservation.
3. General publications about preservation.
4. Self-guided tours of historic areas.
E. Acquisition and Development Priorities
1. Assistance for stabilization or other appropriate preservation treatments for properties which are in imminent danger of being lost due to physical deterioration or planned development.
2. Assistance in the development of plans for the restoration or rehabilitation of properties, particularly those that will be placed in public use.
3. Assistance in the restoration and rehabilitation of properties for which appropriate preservation planning is complete or well underway, particularly those which will be placed in public use.
4. Assistance for restoration or rehabilitation projects which will yield technical innovations which will have application in other projects.
Applications for all types of eligible projects are earnestly solicited and encouraged and will be judged on their merits according to the criteria in Section 1A-39.008, Florida Administrative Code.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION
Priority ranking during the Acquisition and Development review will be given to projects whose objective is in accordance with the first priority for Acquisition and Development projects: The stabilization or other appropriate preservation treatments for properties which are in imminent danger of being lost due to physical deterioration or planned development.
MATCH REQUIREMENTS AND PROJECT SUPPORT
Applications submitted by local governments and not-for-profit organizations for projects located in Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI)-designated communities are eligible to request a waiver of all matching requirements as per Section 288.06561, Florida Statutes. Please visit http://www.florida-redi.com to view a list of all currently-designated REDI counties and communities.
In addition to REDI applications, Non-Matching Special Projects and CLG applications do not require matching contributions from applicants. All other applications require a 1:1, equivalent match. That is, grant funds will be given to support up to 50% of the cost of an eligible project, with the other 50% provided by the grant recipient (grantee) in the form of cash match or match in the form of allowable in-kind services and materials with a specified cash value. The required match must include a minimum cash match contribution of 25%. In valuing in-kind and donated services, please be sure to use a value that reflects a typical fair market value you would pay if you were purchasing such services. All match contributions must occur during the July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014 grant period. Any expenditures or donations made prior to the grant period are not allowable match contributions. Further, in computing grant match, please note that, while direct administrative and project management costs for conducting grant activities may be considered allowable, indirect administrative charges or overhead are not allowable as match and are not reimbursable grant expenditures.
It is important that the applicant document support for the project for which funding is requested. Several letters of support, endorsements, resolutions, and other documentation evidencing local, regional or statewide support for the project contribute significantly to the application review.
APPLICATION REVIEW AND PROJECT SELECTION
All eligible applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis by Grant Review Panels appointed by the Secretary of State in a public meeting scheduled for August 15 and 16, 2012.
The Grant Review Panels will prioritize all applications and recommend a level of funding (full or partial) for each project. In accordance with the Government Performance and Accountability Act of 1994, the Division of Historical Resources is mandated to increase the number of historic and archaeological properties protected or preserved for public use.
Please note that many projects may not be recommended for the full amount requested; rather, the Grant Review Panel members may recommend an amount intended as a significant contribution to the project. Final project selection will be made by the Department of State and will depend heavily upon the Grant Review Panels’ recommendations.
Projects selected for grant awards will be announced by July 1, 2013. Grant award agreements will be forwarded to grantees by July 1, 2013. No project work may be initiated until the grant award agreement between the grantee and the Department is executed. No work begun before July 1, 2013, will be eligible for grant reimbursement.
HOW-TO-APPLY and GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW WEBINARS
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a free How-to-Apply webinar presented by Division Grants Staff on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., EST. Applicants may register for the webinar on the Grants Program website http://www.flheritage.com/grants beginning May 1, 2012. The webinar will provide an overview of the Small Matching Grants Program, a review of the Online Application including application attachments and signature pages, and a discussion of the requirements for submission of the application. The webinar will also explain the application review process and the procedures for funding the grant project proposals. A question and answer session will conclude the webinar.
Additionally, Division Grants Staff will present a Grant Panelist Orientation Webinar to the members of the Grant Review Panels on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST. The webinar is free and open to members of the public. The webinar will provide a Power Point presentation on the application review process, a review of the application attachments, a demonstration of the Online Review System and review of a sample application. Other topics to be covered include evaluation criteria, applicant administrative capability, meeting procedures, conflict of interest, staff recommendations, and the voting and ranking procedures. The webinar will conclude with a question and answer session. Registration information will be posted on the Grants Program website www.flheritage.com/grants not later than July 1, 2012.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding proposed projects or the application process, please contact Grants staff (Crista Hosmer and Jennifer Patnode) at 1(800)847-7278 (PAST) or (850)245-6333. “Bricks and Mortar” or technical questions pertaining to Acquisition & Development projects may also be directed to Bureau of Historic Preservation staff preservation architects Phillip Wisley, R.A. or Eva Osborne, R.A.
Please visit our Web site at www.flheritage.com/grants for more information on the grants program and to begin the application process.
