Federal grant programs / Department of the Interior

National Geospatial Program: Building The National Map (15.817)

Also known as The National Map

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$11.8 million
• Grant awards28
• Typical award$328,305
• Awarded in FY 2025$3.2 million
• Size rank1,450 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $1.3 million in fiscal 2021 to $3.2 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1450th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 17 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 13 states and territories.

What the program funds

The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, Universities, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. The 3D National Topography Model, including the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP), is an initiative that updates, improves, and integrates USGS elevation and hydrography data to support the most demanding scientific requirements and enable data-driven decisions across user communities.

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

Who can apply

Proposals from State, Local, Interstate, Federally or State recognized Indian Tribal Governments, US Territories and Possessions, Institutions of Higher Education, Private Foundations, and Nonprofit Organizations are invited. Due to limited availability of funding to support new external projects, consultation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is strongly recommended prior to submission of applications.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Applications must be for data collection and research projects which are consistent with the objectives of the National Geospatial Program. The majority of funds are used to support new data collections that will enhance The National Map and to research new methods to use those data. For further information, please contact the headquarters office. For further information, please contact the regional office.

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.

Deadlines

Oct 01, 2025 to May 18, 2026 See program announcement or contact Susan Buto at NGP Headquarters for details.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Past Fiscal Year (2024): $123,000 - $995,985; average $446,547 from $2,679,444 Current Fiscal Year (2025): $67,575 - $532,586; average $284,828 from $2,563,464 Budget Fiscal Year (2026): TBD.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: The State of Michigan is working on a 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) project to upgrade its surface water mapping, or hydrography, data, including information about rivers, streams, lakes, and other water features. This effort focuses on the western Upper Peninsula and the southwest Lower Peninsula. The project uses 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) Quality Level 2 lidar data and follows current U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) standards for 3DHP data. Multiple State agencies are collaborating to improve the accuracy and detail of Michigan’s water?related maps and datasets. Once this project finishes, the remaining parts of the Upper Peninsula and the southwest Lower Peninsula will be complete, resulting in a fully updated, statewide 3DHP dataset. These improved data will also be included in the USGS National Geospatial Program’s National Map.Fiscal Year2026: New York State is continuing its effort to update its elevation data using lidar technology through the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). This project will gather new elevation data for parts of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Livingston, Steuben, and Wyoming counties. The new data will replace older datasets and will meet current 3DEP quality standards. The project area overlaps with existing data to support review and accurate alignment of the new data. The project was selected following discussions with Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S.

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

State and local governments received 99% of the money, colleges and universities 1.1%.

By state

5 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Kentucky, Indiana, Washington, Michigan and California.

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