NPF is seeking innovative proposals to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics – both from the source reduction and circularity angles. This RFP is being shared with NPS, nonprofit, and commercial entities that administer and/or manage waste systems at NPS sites. The NPF and NPS are seeking proposals that represent commitment and collaboration between a park, its concessioner(s), lessees, or commercial use authorization holder(s), and at least one organization from the park’s gateway community. The community organization may be a municipality, chamber of commerce, non-governmental organization, school, or another group. Eligible project submissions must connect to NPS and are encouraged to involve and engage multiple partners. The goal is to foster innovative approaches to plastics reduction and recycling from within parks, communities, and commercial operations that will lead to enduring change in national parks and beyond.

Program Criteria
While NPF understands and respects that there are a broad diversity of project opportunities and needs in parks, funding will be prioritized for the projects that most strongly meet the criteria below.

• Actionable. Project significantly improves or enhances plastics reduction and recycling in and around NPS sites. It features one or more of the priority themes and furthers the goals in the 2023 Green Parks Plan and 2023 NPS Plastics Reduction and Elimination Plan. The scope of work is appropriate and feasible.
• Collaborative. Project demonstrates multi-stakeholder engagement, NPS collaboration, partnership between at least 2 entities: park, NPS commercial service provider at park, local friends group, gateway community organization, or municipal government), matching funds, or in-kind match to amplify project proposal.
• Impactful. Projects will be thoughtful and precise, describing in detail the knowledge and ability to execute that the applying organizations and their associated NPS units have for reaching project completion. Project clearly results in improvements to resources, stakeholder operations, or programs, and identifies a plan to measure success, capture data and demonstrate short- and/or long-term impact.
• Program Details and Guidelines

1. Grant requests may be up to $200,000, with possible exceptions. Only one request may be submitted per organization or entity.
2. Please include the following when submitting your application:** NPS Commitment:** Please attach a signed letter of collaboration from Affiliated Park Superintendent.
3. Annual reports will be due October 31, 2024, and annually until grant is complete. Reports will be submitted via NPF’s grant system, Fluxx.
4. Selected partners will be asked to collect project content (videos, photos, participant biographies, impact stories, etc.) and work with NPF to collaboratively amplify partnership activities through social media, media inquiries, and other opportunities as available.