Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experience (CORE) Wildland Fire Training Crews | P25AS00012

Opportunity Information: Apply for P25AS00012

The National Park Service (NPS) is offering a discretionary funding opportunity called Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experience (CORE) Wildland Fire Training Crews (Funding Opportunity Number P25AS00012). The program is designed to build and support wildland fire training crews made up of women, veterans, or youth, with the larger goal of developing the next generation of wildland firefighters, fire managers, and fire-related scientists. At its core, the opportunity is both workforce development and mission support: participants receive structured training and real job experience, while NPS parks strengthen their capacity and create a pipeline of future fire professionals who understand the NPS mission and operational environment.

CORE Crews are meant to provide hands-on, relevant experience in wildland fire work alongside trained professional fire staff within NPS. Participants are expected to learn directly through doing, with coaching and mentoring built into the experience. The work assignments can vary by park and project needs, but the opportunity specifically notes a broad range of potential activities. These include fuels management projects (work that reduces hazardous vegetation and supports safer fire behavior), wildfire preparedness tasks (planning, readiness activities, and operational support before fires occur), fire effects monitoring (collecting information about how fire impacts ecosystems), and in some cases potentially supporting wildfire suppression efforts. This mix is intended to expose participants to the real scope of wildland fire programs, not just emergency response.

The training component is also a central feature of the program. The announcement indicates that CORE crew training may include employee and agency orientation, basic firefighter training, chainsaw training, and an overview of incident management and response. Together, these topics are meant to give participants foundational knowledge of safety, operations, and how wildland fire incidents are managed, while also building practical skills that translate into future seasonal or permanent fire jobs. The overall emphasis is on giving participants enough exposure and preparation to spark long-term interest in fire careers and to help them compete for future opportunities.

Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement, which typically means the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project during the performance period (for example, coordination, technical input, or collaboration tied to NPS operations). The activity category is listed as Employment, Labor and Training, reflecting the program's workforce focus alongside operational benefits to NPS. The CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number associated with the opportunity is 15.969.

Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to specific applicant types: Section 501(c)(3) compliant nonprofit organizations, state governments, and federally recognized Tribal governments. The announcement also indicates multiple awards are anticipated, with an expected 50 awards. The award ceiling is $200,000, meaning individual awards can be up to that amount. The opportunity was created on May 24, 2024, and lists an original closing date of May 24, 2029, suggesting it may be structured to accept proposals over an extended period or through recurring submission windows, depending on the full announcement details.

In practical terms, this grant opportunity supports organizations and governments that can recruit and host crews from the targeted groups, coordinate training and work experiences in collaboration with NPS fire professionals, and deliver projects that both develop participants and contribute to NPS wildland fire priorities. The main outcome NPS is aiming for is a stronger, more diverse pipeline of trained entry-level fire personnel with real field experience, mentorship, and a clearer pathway into wildland fire careers.

• The National Park Service in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experience (CORE) Wildland Fire Training Crews" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.969.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2029-05-24.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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