Description
Since 1980, the Veterans' Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP) has awarded grants totaling over $1.1 billion that states (46), tribes (14) and 3 territories (Guam, Saipan, and Puerto Rico) used to establish, expand, improve, operate, or maintain a total of 122 Veterans cemeteries. In 2024, VCGP cemeteries interred more than 42,720 Veterans and eligible family members, which is approximately 24% of the total annual interments in all national, state, territory, and tribal cemeteries (176,965). In 2025, the program will open two new state cemeteries, the New York State Veterans Cemetery - Finger Lakes in New York and the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island in Nebraska, bringing the total to 124 VCGP funded Veterans cemeteries. These two cemeteries will provide burial options to an additional 24,907 unserved Veterans and their eligible family members. Additionally, VCGP’s 125th grant-funded state Veterans’ cemetery in Lubbock, Texas is planned to open in December 2025. Once completed, this cemetery will provide access to 19,923 Veterans that were previously unserved. This listing is to solicit FY25 pre-applications for the development of grant funded projects included in the FY26 priority list. Grants may be used only to establish, expand, or improve Veterans cemeteries that are owned and operated by a state, territory or tribal government on trust land. Federal Financial Assistance is granted only to states, U.S. territories and federally recognized tribal governments, not to private organizations, cities, or other government agencies. The US Department of Veteran Affairs (US-DVA) provides up to 100 percent of the development cost for an approved project. US-DVA can only provide operating equipment for the establishment of new cemeteries. US-DVA cannot pay for land acquisition. Cemeteries funded under the grant program must conform to the standards and guidelines pertaining to site selection, planning and construction prescribed by US-DVA. Cemeteries must comply with Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA) requirements in Title IX, Sections 70901 – 70952, Public Law, 117-58 that ensure all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials are produced in the United States. Cemeteries must certify that they will use grant funds for projects that meet BABAA domestic content procurement preferences. All iron, steel, and construction materials used in VA-funded projects must be produced or manufactured in the U.S., and all manufactured products used in the project must be produced in the U.S. (cost of the components of the U.S. manufactured product must be greater than 55% of the total cost of all components). Cemeteries must be operated solely for the interment of Veterans (as defined in 38 CFR 39.2), and their eligible family members (see 38 CFR 39.10). Additionally, because of a recent change in the law, a grantee cemetery may also inter the individuals defined in 38 U.S.C. 2408(i)(2), who are ineligible for burial in a US-DVA National Cemetery. More information about this new authority can be found on the NCA Notices webpage, accessible using this link: https://www.cem.va.gov/policies/notices.asp The administration, operation, and maintenance of a US-DVA grant funded cemetery is solely the responsibility of the state, territory, or tribal government. As part of Veterans’ Burial Benefits, US-DVA can provide a "plot allowance" of up to $978 for expenses incurred in the burial of certain eligible Veterans.