Planning and Schematic Design Support for the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Plan/EIS | P17AS00105

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00105

The opportunity titled "Planning and Schematic Design Support for the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Plan/EIS" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00105) is a National Park Service (NPS) public notice, not an open call for applications. In other words, it is not a competitive grant solicitation where outside organizations submit proposals for consideration. Instead, NPS is announcing its intent to make a single award through a task agreement under an existing master cooperative agreement that was either previously competed or justified as a single-source arrangement. The posting mainly serves transparency purposes so the public can see that NPS plans to fund this work through an established partner mechanism rather than through a new competitive process.

The project itself centers on planning and early design work to support the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/EIS). That Plan/EIS is the formal environmental planning process NPS is using to determine the long-term location and configuration for ferry embarkation service between San Francisco and Alcatraz Island. This ferry operation is a major public-facing gateway for the park because Alcatraz is one of the most visited destinations in the United States, serving about 1.5 million visitors annually. Because ferry embarkation affects visitor access, safety, circulation, and the experience at the waterfront, the work covered here focuses on the foundational steps needed to evaluate options and move a preferred alternative toward implementation.

The intended recipient is the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (GGNPC), identified in the notice as the nonprofit support partner for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The Conservancy is being asked to assist NPS staff with several key components: environmental planning support tied to the Plan/EIS process, schematic design assistance to translate concepts into workable facility layouts and early design direction, and special technical studies that may be needed to address site constraints and operational requirements. While the announcement does not list each study type, "special technical studies" in this context commonly means targeted analyses that help decision-makers compare alternatives and refine designs, such as circulation and queuing analysis, accessibility and wayfinding considerations, utilities and constructability scoping, or other site-specific technical evaluations that strengthen the environmental review and design rationale.

This award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically signals that NPS expects substantial involvement during the project rather than simply issuing funds and receiving a final deliverable. The funding instrument and activity category align with NPS natural resource and park planning functions (CFDA 15.954). Eligibility is noted as nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), but since this is not a request for applications and is tied to a pre-existing agreement, the practical intent is a single, directed partnership action rather than a broad eligibility-based competition.

From a funding standpoint, the notice lists an award ceiling of up to $500,000 and anticipates one award. The announcement was created on March 6, 2017, with an original closing date of March 30, 2017; however, the closing date should be read more as an administrative posting window than a proposal deadline, since NPS is not soliciting applications. The rationale for selecting GGNPC is also implicit in the description: Conservancy staff have been involved in aspects of Alcatraz ferry facility planning since 2009, and NPS expects the organization to maintain a long-term presence at the future facility. That institutional history and continuity are presented as key reasons the partner is well-positioned to support both the near-term planning/design work and the long-term implementation and operational interface that may follow once the Plan/EIS identifies a final direction.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Planning and Schematic Design Support for the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Plan/EIS" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2017 This announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Services intention to award a task agreement under a previously single source justified master cooperative agreement.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for P17AS00105

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