Zoos, Botanical Gardens, and Aquaria Operational Support Grant Program

The Zoos, Botanical Gardens, and Aquaria Operational Support Grant Program provides operational support grants to eligible local governments and not-for-profit organizations in New York State. The program is administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is funded through annual appropriations from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. The agency states that support is not guaranteed in any succeeding year and that guidelines are subject to change. The program is intended to provide timely and stable annual funding to maintain, operate, and secure permanent collections of natural specimens and to support robust educational programs that interpret those collections for the public. Applicants are described as Natural Heritage Institutions, which may include zoos, botanical gardens, arboretums, aquariums, bird sanctuaries, natural habitat preserves, natural science museums, and nature and environmental centers. Eligible institutions must own or have an ownership interest in, house, care for, and interpret living or systematically organized biological collections of natural origin for the public. Applications are for a three-year agreement covering April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2029, with yearly active periods for State Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29. The first period contract term is April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. The application due date is July 17, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Proposals must be submitted in the Statewide Financial System in response to Bid Event ZBGAOS26. Applicants must be registered in SFS, and not-for-profit applicants must be prequalified in SFS to be eligible to apply and receive funding. Funding amounts are based on the ZBGA budget appropriation, the number of eligible participants, associated budgets, and reimbursable expenses. New awardees entering the program receive an introductory flat rate of $15,000 annually or one-third of the organization's total operating budget for the Natural Heritage Collection, whichever is less. No institution may receive more than one-third of its total operating budget for the Natural Heritage Collection, and no applicant or parent organization may receive more than one-third of the annual appropriation. The program is administered on a reimbursement basis and no match is required. Eligible applicants must be municipalities or not-for-profit organizations that exist on a permanent basis to act as or for a Natural Heritage Collection. They must have annual operating expenses of at least $15,000 in the last State fiscal year and expect to maintain that level during State Fiscal Years 2026-2029. They must maintain a primary purpose of ongoing educational programming for children and adults that interprets the ecology of the collection, support a facility open to the public on a regular and predictable basis for at least seven consecutive months, maintain well-defined program goals, and operate an organized program for collection care in accordance with applicable standards. Not-for-profits must have maintained 501(c)(3) status for the two State fiscal years preceding application. The program excludes for-profit organizations, public school districts, federal agencies and programs, New York State agencies and departments, and cemeteries. Ineligible collections and programs include natural history collections, historical, archaeological, anthropological, art, science-technology, and astronomy collections, primarily decorative or ornamental gardens, programs primarily concerned with horticulture, and programs focused on domesticated plants or animals. Ineligible activities include research projects, land acquisition, member-only programs, lobbying, political activity, fundraising, collection acquisitions, primarily commercial activities, rescue and rehabilitation, food services, overhead, and other indirect expenses. The SFS application includes eligibility questions, a budget and expenditure assessment, and work plan properties. Applicants must answer all application questions, complete SFS budget properties showing eligible historical expenditures from the prior two State fiscal years, upload the Historical Expenditure Detail Report, upload backup documentation supporting historical expenditures, and enter a project summary in the work plan objective section. Award announcements will occur after the application review period. If awarded, the agency will establish a contract in SFS and may require documents such as insurance certificates, executive order certifications, a municipal resolution accepting funds, organizational bylaws, proof of registration with the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, and vendor responsibility documentation. Program contact is ZBGAGrants@parks.ny.gov.

Focus the application on administrative and fiscal strength, quality and care of eligible Natural Heritage Collections, and public service. Include only direct recurring costs for care and interpretation of the Natural Heritage Collection. Make sure every Historical Expenditure Detail Report line references backup documentation. Not-for-profits should complete SFS prequalification early because review may take 5-10 business days or longer if updates are required.