Funding Opportunities

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

Who can apply:

Incorporated non-profit organizations —including, but not limited to, environmental justice networks, faith based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions, federally recognized tribal governments—including Alaska Native Villages; OR tribal organizations.

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Each project must include activities related to at least one of the following federal
environmental statutes: Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3), Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a), Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203, Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3), Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a), Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a). Eligible Activities include: research, public education, demonstration projects, training, monitoring, development, investigations, surveys and studies, experiments. Also, projects focusing on addressing the impacts of: 1) the
COVID-19 pandemic on underserved communities, 2) Climate and Disaster Resiliency as well as Emergency Preparedness for underserved communities, 3) projects Diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and rail yards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative , and 4) projects proposed by small non-profit organizations of 10 or fewer full-time employees.

Ineligible projects:

EJ grant activities must relate to gathering or transferring information or advancing awareness. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, rather than trying to “fix” an environmental problem using a well-established method.Examples of unacceptable grant proposals involve performing: large-scale clean-ups, treatments, routine recycling services, and major disposal and/or energy recovery projects.

Program description:

The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program provides funding directly to community-based organizations for projects that help residents of underserved communities understand and address local environmental and public health issues. For purposes of this announcement, the term “underserved community” refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks. In general, the EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities. Community-driven projects are projects that include activities where community residents and/or representatives are integrally involved in the thinking behind and execution of those activities. Therefore, applying organizations should have a direct connection to the underserved community impacted by environmental harms and risks.

Award type:

Competitive grant

Time frame:
1 year
Funding range:

Maximum $50,000

Data focus?
No

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Environmental Education Grants Program

Who can apply:

Local education agency, state education or environmental agency, college or university, non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, noncommercial educational broadcasting entity, tribal education agency (which includes schools and community colleges controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation and which are recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the US.) (Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S. Territories.)

Eligible areas:

Entire USA, with caveats: Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S. Territories

Eligible projects:

Environmental education projects based on sound science that teach or enhance critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision making skills that lead to responsible actions to protect human health and the environment.

Ineligible projects:

Projects that advocate a particular viewpoint or course of action about environmental issues or
simply disseminate information.
• Lobbying or political activities.
• Non-education-related research or development.
• Technical training of environmental professionals.
• Construction projects

Program description:

Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques.

Award type:

Competitive Grant

Cost share:

Minimum match of 25% of total budget

Time frame:
1 to 2 years
Funding range:

$50,000 to $100,000

Funding cycle:

Ability to publish an RFA and fund EE grants is completely dependent on budget appropriations. If this program is approved for funding, EPA will run a competition each year.

Data focus?
No

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/wifia

Who can apply:

Local, state, tribal, and federal government entities, partnerships and joint ventures, corporations and trusts, and Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs.

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Projects that are eligible for the Clean Water SRF, notwithstanding the public ownership clause, projects that are eligible for the Drinking Water SRF, enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities, brackish or seawater desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling projects, drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects, and acquisition of property if it is integral to the project or will mitigate the environmental impact of a project.

Program description:

The WIFIA program accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

Award type:

Loan

Cost share:

49 percent: Maximum portion of eligible project costs that WIFIA can fund.

Time frame:
35 years: Maximum final maturity date from substantial completion. 5 years: Maximum time that repayment may be deferred after substantial completion of the project.
Funding range:

$20 million: Minimum project size for large communities.
$5 million: Minimum project size for small communities (population of 25,000 or less).

Funding cycle:

Notice of Funding Availability - July, Letter of Interest Due - Fall, Project Selection (invitation to apply)- Spring, Project Review Negotiation, and closing - 4-12 months from submission of application

Data focus?
No

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Grant: Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Drinking Water Grant

Who can apply:

The geographical 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and tribes within the U.S.

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Grants can be used to support projects and activities in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that include: Investments necessary for a public water system to comply with the SDWA, Assistance that directly and primarily benefits a disadvantaged community, Programs to provide household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated contaminants, Activities necessary and appropriate for a State to respond to a contaminant.

Ineligible projects:

Projects in areas that are not either small or disadvantaged. (see award rules)

Program description:

The principal objective of the Grant Program is to support drinking water projects and activities in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that are unable to finance projects to comply with drinking water regulations under the SDWA. Additionally, the grant funding provides assistance to communities to manage drinking water concerns through household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated water contaminants. Projects and activities eligible for assistance can include infrastructure projects; technical, managerial, and financial capacity building activities; and activities necessary for a state to respond to a contaminant.

Award type:

Noncompetitive grant

Cost share:

The eligible entity is required to pay not less than 45% of the total costs of the project or activity, which may include services, materials, supplies, or other in-kind contributions. The 45 percent cost share is waived for the "Insular Areas", which includes the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands.

Time frame:
Projects will vary in the length of time to complete depending upon the type of project or activity.
Funding range:

The amount of funding available to states will be based on an allocation formula similar to that of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

Funding cycle:

April - allotment notification, September - applications open, June 2021 - applications due

Data focus?
No

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Grant: Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water

Who can apply:

The geographical 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and tribes within the U.S. Additionally, 6.44 percent of appropriated funding will be distributed to assist tribal education agencies (including in Alaska Native Villages) in testing for lead contamination in drinking water at schools and child care programs.

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Grant funds shall be expended in accordance with The EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities guidance or Applicable state regulations or guidance regarding reducing lead in drinking water in schools and child care programs that are not less stringent. Under this grant local education agencies must also (1) Make available a copy of the results of any testing for lead in drinking water carried out using grant funds, if applicable, in the administration offices and, to the extent practicable, on the internet website of the local educational agency for inspection by the public and (2) Notify parent, teacher, and employee organizations of the availability of the results.

Ineligible projects:

The Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Grant Program funding can only be used for testing for lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities. Grant funding cannot be used to replace fountains, fixtures, lead lines or any remediation activity.

Program description:

The principal objective of the assistance to be awarded under this program is to provide grants to states and territories to help assist schools and child care programs to test for lead in drinking water, utilizing EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities guidance or applicable state regulations or guidance regarding reducing lead in drinking water in schools and child care programs that are not less stringent. The goals of the grant program are to (1) Reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water (2) Help states target funding toward schools unable to pay for testing (3) Utilize the 3Ts model to establish best practices for a lead in drinking water prevention program (4) Foster sustainable partnerships at the state and local level to allow for more efficient use of existing resources and exchange of information among experts in various education and health sectors (5) Enhance community, parent, and teacher cooperation and trust.

Award type:

Noncompetitive grant

Time frame:
Maximum of 2 years
Funding range:

In accordance with 33 U.S.C. 2201, subject to the availability of appropriations, the program is authorized to be appropriated $20 million for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to be made available to states, tribes and territories participating in the Program.

Funding cycle:

September - announcement, February - Notice of Intent to Participate due

Data focus?
No

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Exchange Network Grant Program

Who can apply:

States, U.S. Territories, Federally Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, Inter-tribal Consortia of Federally Recognized Tribes, Some other entities, if they are an agency or instrumentality of a state (Must include a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General certifying the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state)

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Projects that result in Data flow(s), data publishing service, web service, or other eligible activities (e.g. pilot projects) into production.

Ineligible projects:

Construction Costs, Operations and Maintenance, including previous EN projects and flows, Workshops and Conferences not primarily benefitting the applicant/applicable partners or ones conducted primarily for EPA’s benefit, Pre-Award Costs, Management Fees, Development and deployment of physical nodes.

Program description:

Between FY 2002 and FY 2019, EPA provided approximately $236 million for state, tribal, and territorial awards and associated program support through the grant program. These grants support better environmental decisions by promoting the use of more timely and consistent data which is shareable by partners across the EN as well as by environmental professionals and the public. Grant purpose: (1) To develop technologies to share data among partners through the EN (2) Develop underlying shared or reusable services that provide the foundation of EN operations (3) Make data available to partner personnel, the public or other communities of interest.

Award type:

Grant (Default) or Cooperative Agreement, Direct Funding (Default) or In-Kind Services, Single Applicant or EN Partnership Grant, Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs)/Consolidated Grants.

Time frame:
3 years
Funding range:

Individual Applicants: $200,000 maximum, qualifying Exchange Network Partner Grants $400,000 maximum.

Funding cycle:

February - Solicitation release, March - Applications Due, September - Grant Awarded

Data focus?
Yes

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Performance Partnership Grant

Who can apply:

States, tribes, and interstate agencies are eligible for PPGs. The state or interstate agency must be eligible to receive each of the two or more grants combined in the PPG.

Eligible areas:

Entire USA

Eligible projects:

Grants Eligible for Inclusion in State PPGs:
Air Pollution Control – CAA Sec.105, State Indoor Radon Grants –TSCA Sec. 306, Water Pollution Control – CWA Sec.106, Nonpoint Source Management -- CWA Sec. 319(h, Wetlands Development Grants Program – CWA Sec.104(b)(3), Water Quality Cooperative Agreements – CWA Sec. 104(b)(3), Public Water System Supervision --SDWA Sec. 1443(a, Underground Water Source Protection – SDWA Sec. 1443(b), Hazardous Waste Management – SWDA Sec. 3011(a), State and Tribal Response (Brownfields) – CERCLA Sec. 128(a), State Underground Storage Tanks – SWDA Sec. 2007(f)(2), Pesticides Cooperative Enforcement – FIFRA Sec.23(a)1, Pesticide Applicator Certification and Training -- FIFRA Sec. 23(a)(2), Pesticide Program Implementation -- FIFRA Sec. 23(a)(1), Lead-Based Paint Program – TSCA Sec. 404(g), Toxic Substances Compliance Monitoring – TSCA Sec. 28, Environmental Information Exchange Network–EPA Appropriations Acts, Pollution Prevention State Grants – PPA Sec. 6605, Multi-Media Sector Grants (compliance/enforcement).

Program description:

Under traditional categorical environmental program grants, states receive funds to implement air, water, waste, pesticides, and toxics programs. Each categorical grant can only be used for the specific purposes set out in the authority for that particular grant. Performance Partnership grants allow states to combine up to 19 grants to streamline administrative requirements, give states greater flexibility to direct resources to their most pressing environmental problems, and make it easier to fund efforts that cut across program boundaries.

Award type:

Competitive Grant

Cost share:

The minimum cost share amount for a PPG is the sum of the non-federal cost share that is required under each of the environmental program grants combined in the PPG. Cost share requirements for the individual environmental programs are described in 40 CFR 35, from Sections 140 to 418.

Time frame:
The length of a grant period is flexible, and can be negotiated between EPA and the state. EPA strongly encourages states to keep the budget period to a maximum of five years.
Funding cycle:

The schedule for developing PPG agreements varies somewhat by state. Typically, states submit their PPG (and state grant) applications annually during the summer. Ideally, PPGs
are signed by the end of September.

Data focus?
Yes

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Bureau of Reclamation (USBR): WaterSMART WEEG

Who can apply:

An eligible applicant is a state, Indian tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority. Applicants must also be located in the Western United States or Territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.)

Eligible areas:

Applicants must also be located in the Western United States or Territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.)

Eligible projects:

Projects eligible for funding include: water conservation projects (canal lining/piping, municipal metering, irrigation/flow measurement, supervisory control and data acquisition and automation, irrigation measures) and hydropower projects (installation of small scale hydroelectric facilities).

Ineligible projects:

Operations, maintenance and replacement projects, water reclamation, recycling, and reuse projects, groundwater recharge projects, water purchases, building construction, pilot projects, high-efficiency indoor appliance and fixture installation, other types of renewable energy projects.

Program description:

Through WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants (formerly Challenge Grants) Reclamation provides 50/50 cost share funding to irrigation and water districts, tribes, states and other entities with water or power delivery authority. Projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of hydropower; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. Projects are selected through a competitive process and the focus is on projects that can be completed within two or three years.

Award type:

Competitive Grant

Cost share:

50% non-Federal cost-share requirement

Time frame:
2 to 3 years
Funding range:

Funding Group I: Up to $500,000
Funding Group II: Up to $2,000,000

Funding cycle:

Annual

Data focus?
Yes

1

Bureau of Reclamation (USBR): Science and Technology Grants

Who can apply:

BOR Employees

Eligible areas:

All of USA

Eligible projects:

Research projects that address the priority research areas and categories identified the S&T Program's Annual Science Strategy Implementation Plan. Currently S&T funds projects in the following research areas (1) Water Infrastructure, (2) Power and Energy, (3) Environmental Issues for Water Delivery and Management, (4) Water Operations and Planning (5) Developing Water Supplies. Each year, the S&T Program identifies the highest priority research needs within each research area, that researchers may choose to submit proposals to address.

Program description:

The Science and Technology Program (S&T) is a Reclamation-wide competitive, merit-based applied research and development program. The program focuses on innovative solutions for water and power challenges in the Western United States for Reclamation water and facility managers and the stakeholders they serve. Each spring, the S&T Program seeks research proposals from BOR employees through an annual call for proposals. The call for proposals requests detailed information about a project's research strategy, the benefits to Reclamation Regions, expected impacts and outcomes, and other information to support a relevancy and technical review that enables the S&T Program to select the best projects for funding each year.

Award type:

Competitive Grant

Funding cycle:

Each spring, the S&T Program seeks research proposals from BOR employees through an annual call for proposals.

Data focus?
No

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Bureau of Reclamation (USBR): WaterSMART Applied Science

Who can apply:

(1) States, tribes, irrigation and water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority located in the Western United States and territories. (2) Universities, nonprofit research institutions, federally funded research and development centers, and nonprofit entities who partner with an entity from Category 1.

Eligible areas:

Projects must be designed for use by water managers in the 17 westerns states, Alaska and Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

Eligible projects:

(1) Projects to enhance modeling capabilities; (2) develop reservoir operating alternatives for comparison; (3) improve or adapt forecasting tools; and (4) improve access to and use of hydrologic data, or develop new types of data to inform water management decisions.

Ineligible projects:

(1) Projects to develop new and novel methods or technologies, i.e., “research” projects. (2) Planning studies such as feasibility studies, appraisal investigations, water marketing strategies and drought contingency plans. (3) Water reuse, water recycling and desalination projects. (4) Construction projects to improve water management. (5) Projects funded under other federal grants

Program description:

Through WaterSMART, Reclamation provides financial assistance on a competitive basis for Applied Science Grants. Through these grants, Reclamation provides funding to non-Federal entities for the development of tools and information to support water management for multiple uses.

Award type:

Competitive Grant

Cost share:

50% non-Federal costshare required

Time frame:
2 to 3 years
Funding range:

2-yr project: Up to $150,000; 3-yr project: up to $300,000

Funding cycle:

FOAs posted annually in Q1 (Oct or Later). FOAs close in Q2 (January).

Data focus?
Yes