Federal grant programs / Department of the Interior

Experienced Services Program (15.016)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$31.6 million
• Grant awards260
• Typical award$71,902
• Awarded in FY 2025$2.0 million
• Size rank1170 of 1824
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreement

Key findings

• It is the 1170th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• Awards went to recipients in 1 states and territories.

What the program funds

ESP participants provide technical assistance and support to BLM in the development and execution of activities that benefit the general public and provide support to BLM employees. The program will provide opportunities to qualified individuals 55 years of age and older, who have specific technical skills and abilities not available or underrepresented at current BLM staffing levels. The ESP participants will not replace or displace current BLM employees.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

What the money can and cannot pay for

This program will provide opportunities to qualified individuals 55 years of age and older who have specific technical skills and abilities not available or underrepresented at current BLM staffing levels. The ESP participants will not replace or displace current BLM employees. Recipients can use the assistance to support employment opportunities for individuals 55 years and older on projects that support the BLM mission.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Awards range between $10,000 to $349,000. Average amounts are $75,000.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Civil Engineering Technical Support- The purpose of the award is to support the engineering work needed to meet national timber program goals and maintain healthy forests. This position contributes directly to preparing timber sales, including green timber, burned timber, and stands affected by forest pathogens. This work strengthens the district's ability to meet annual timber targets, advance stewardship projects, and reduce hazardous fuels. It also supports the sustained yield management direction for Oregon and California lands and helps implement recent directives that expand timber production across public lands. Forestry Technician - The award supports caring for forests on public lands in Idaho. The project’s purpose is to gather reliable field information, lay out timber sales in a safe and efficient way, and prepare sites for harvest treatments so land stewards can make sound decisions. The goals are straightforward: measure trees and forest conditions, set clear boundaries and access routes for harvest areas, monitor sale activities, and keep simple, accurate records. The work strengthens forest health, improves planning, and ensures tasks are finished by the dates set by managers. The project enrollee completes hands-on field work across the Boise district and the Shoshone field office. Core actions include counting and measuring trees, recording conditions, and marking treatment areas.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to nonprofits.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.