FORECAST-ANTICIPATING NATIVE ACT TRIBAL TOURISM COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED)

This forecast is intended to provide preliminary notification for an anticipated funding opportunity to support the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-221) (NATIVE Act). The Department of the Interior, through Indian Affairs, has engaged in significant regionally focused Tribal tourism efforts since the inception of the NATIVE Act, including awarding in 2019 a multi-year cooperative agreement focused on strengthening collaboration and coordination related to travel and tourism on Federal and Tribal lands. This cooperative agreement shall continue efforts to formalize a role for an organization or entity to serve as a facilitator between the Secretary of the Interior, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to implement tribal tourism technical assistance where needed, through consultations with, and to empower those entities to, participate fully in the tourism industry. The NATIVE Act requires identifying a means for delivering and coordinating Federal technical assistance to tribes in collaboration with Federal partners, including the Secretary of the Interior and other entities with tourism expertise. The successful entity or organization will support a five-zone implementation in Alaska, Hawaii, Southwest, Northwest, and Eastern zones. The five zone approach may be implemented through sub-awards.

The Office of Indian Economic Development, through the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, anticipates that a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) will be issued on or prior to April 14, 2023, soliciting applications to meet the objectives of the above-described cooperative agreement.

NOTE: BIA will issue one cooperative agreement that will support the development of five zones identified by OIED to carry out NATIVE Act technical assistance requirements.

The anticipated NOFO is expected to result in the distribution of up to $2,000,000 during the first base year. In addition, option years for FY 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 ceiling awards will be approximately $2 million for these subsequent years, subject to the availability of funds.