National Digital Newspaper Program Service

Washington, DCDistrict of Columbia, USADue Wednesday, January 13, 2027

Client: Washington, DC
RFP Number: MRB-57825
Posted: 10/8/2026
Category: Marketing and Branding
Budget: Looking for Proposals
NAICS: —
Set-aside: —
Contact: —

Description

AI Generated

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Collections and Infrastructure seeks applications for the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). The program goal is to create a national, freely accessible, searchable digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963 from all 56 U.S. states and jurisdictions for ingest into Chronicling America. Eligible applicants are USA organizations operating onshore. Work performance will take place offsite in the United States and its jurisdictions. Applicants must submit proposals using Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution by January 13, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Required application components include standard forms, a mandatory 15-page narrative, a work plan, key personnel résumés, lists of consultants and advisory board members, and a Research and Related Budget with justification. Award announcements are anticipated for July 2027, with total program funding estimated at approximately $3,000,000. Peer reviewers will evaluate applications using established program review criteria.

Key solicitation details

AI-extracted from NDNP_2027_NOFO.pdf. Confirm against the original documents before bidding.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting applications for the National Digital Newspaper Program to create a digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963. Selected awardees will convert approximately 100,000 pages into digital files over a two-year period. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits, accredited higher education institutions, state and local governments, and federally recognized Native Am…

Issued by: National Endowment for the Humanities
Published: October 6, 2026
Application Deadline: January 13, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
Anticipated Award Announcement: July 2027
Contract start: September 1, 2027
How to submit: Electronic via Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution
Submission details: Submit via Grants.gov using prescribed PDF filenames and mandatory 15-page limit for Attachment 1: Narrative.
Contract term: Up to two years, starting September 1, 2027
Estimated value: Up to $325,000 per award; total anticipated funding approximately $3,000,000 for approximately 11 cooperative agreements
Place of performance: Offsite / USA
Funding: Federal Assistance Listing Number 45.042; 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance

How proposals are evaluated

Humanities significance and selection strategy
Methodology and standards
Project management, staff, and advisory board qualifications
Dissemination and public engagement
Reasonableness of the budget

Scope of work

Select historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963
Convert approximately 100,000 newspaper pages into digital files following Library of Congress technical guidelines
Establish an advisory board responsible for applying selection criteria
Deliver digital assets and metadata to the Library of Congress
Provide quarterly data deliveries throughout the period of performance
Evaluate and document copyright registration and renewal for selected titles

Minimum qualifications

Must be established in the United States or its jurisdictions
Access to large quantities of master negative microfilms of newspapers for 1690-1963 (for first three awards)
Staff with relevant language proficiency if proposing newspapers in languages other than English

Documents to include with the bid

Attachment 1: Narrative
Attachment 2: Work plan
Attachment 3: Résumés for key personnel
Attachment 4: Consultants and advisory board members
Attachment 5: Letters of commitment and support
Attachment 6: Additional supporting documentation
Attachment 7: Subrecipient budget(s)
Attachment 8: Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement
Attachment 9: Explanation of delinquent federal debt
Application for Federal Domestic Assistance - Individual / Project Performance Site Location(s) Form / Attachments Form / Research and Related Budget

Grants.gov funding details

Funding opportunity: 20270113-PJ · National Digital Newspaper Program
Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities
Assistance listing: 45.042 National Endowment for the Humanities: National Digital Newspaper Program
Total program funding: $3.0M
Award size: $1 to $325.0K
Expected awards: 11
Applications close: Jan 13, 2027
Instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Cost sharing required: No
Eligible applicants: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Private institutions of higher education; County governments; State governments; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; City or township governments; Special district governments

Source: Grants.gov (U.S. federal public data).

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2 available filesDocuments checked Oct 8, 2026

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