Grants and Funding Opportunities

The current FY 2025 Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice must be revised in accordance with updated Agency priorities, and the application date has been extended to at least April 28. An updated Solicitation Notice is not yet available but will be posted to the grants.gov listing (and linked on the Exchange Network website) as soon as possible.  

Applicants who have already submitted an application for the FY25 cycle will be able to resubmit their application, with the updated requirements, following the publication of the revised FY25 Solicitation Notice.

With grants up to $20,000, the Community Action Fund (CAF) supports Indigenous-led direct actions and organizing efforts. CAF prioritizes frontline, grassroots, and community-based efforts that defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights, communities and Nations, including responses to climate disasters.  

• Apply 

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) has announced the availability of Fiscal Year 2025 funds for planning, developing, and implementing programs designed to improve the capability of Tribal governing bodies to regulate environmental quality pursuant to federal and tribal environmental laws. Funding is available for Tribes throughout the United States.

• Apply

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is offering direct, ongoing technical assistance to individual Tribes working on ecological resilience projects designed to help our non-human relatives survive and thrive. Staff members from all Federally recognized, Unrecognized, and State Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages are eligible to apply. Assistance is tailored to each Tribe’s needs and can range from remote support to, in some cases, on-site assistance, depending on the availability of funds. ITEP aims to provide long-term support, often lasting 6+ months, to help Tribes navigate barriers and implement actionable solutions. There is no deadline to apply. 

• Apply 

The Puget Sound Partnership invites proposals that cover climate change, pollution and toxicology, land use and ecosystem management, or effectiveness. $1.3 million is available for 5-15 projects that feature integrated socio-ecological systems that are larger in scope and meaningfully integrate at least one social science discipline, or targeted research that addresses critical gaps in knowledge, advance innovative approaches, or address a critical uncertainty. Projects are expected to begin in July 2025 and continue through June 30, 2027. 

• Apply

The Puget Sound Partnership will host a webinar about this funding opportunity on March 18.  

• Register

American-Made Challenges are a series of prize competitions, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), designed to incentivize the nation’s entrepreneurs to reenergize innovation and reassert American leadership in the energy marketplace. The Capacity Accelerator is a 3-phase prize with an award pool of $7.1 million open to Tribal Nations and collectives who seek to build their internal capacity to engage in offshore wind decision-making processes. Awardees will also have access to technical assistance resources and knowledge-sharing opportunities.  

• Apply 

Woohoo, Alaskans for Littler Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR) Mini Grants have returned! Applications will be accepted for (1) recycling outreach and (2) recycling education until all funds are disbursed. (In other words, it’s first come, first served until all funds are expended.) Grant requests can be for any amount, although those between $500 and $2,500 are standard. Preference will be given to rural communities; larger communities with limited recycling may also qualify.

• Apply

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced two funding opportunities. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program will fund hazard mitigation projects and capacity-building activities. The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program will fund projects to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and within NFIP-participating communities.  

• Apply to BRIC
• Apply to FMA 

The Administration of Native Americans (ANA) Environmental Regulatory Enhancement program provides funding for the costs of planning, developing, and implementing programs designed to improve the capability of Tribal governing bodies to regulate environmental quality pursuant to federal and tribal environmental laws, which empowers Tribal and Alaska Native communities to manage lands, water, and air in their regions. Projects funded through this opportunity will focus on one or more of the following activities:
 

• Strengthening environmental regulatory programs.
• Integrating traditional ecological knowledge into program administration to
• advance historic preservation.
• Advancing the management and co-management of lands.
• Addressing climate change.
• Promoting environmental justice.  

A 12-month project has a $300,000 ceiling, a 24-month project has a $600,000 ceiling, and a 36-month project has a $900,000 ceiling.

• Apply

Through this grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities. Awards range from $75,000 to $2 million for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities. 

• Apply   

NOAA will host three webinars about this funding opportunity. A webinar specifically for Tribes will be held on Feb. 24. 

• Register for the Jan. 16 webinar
• Register for the Feb. 24 webinar

Register for the April 10 webinar

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Build America Bureau has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program. This NOFO provides $27 million in technical assistance grants to rural and Tribal communities for the planning and design phases of transportation projects. Participation in this program does not require a local funding match. The Bureau has allocated up to $10 million specifically for Tribal applicants.  

Grants may be used to hire staff or advisors to assist with planning and design phase activities, including feasibility studies, preliminary engineering and design, environmental review, revenue forecasting, financial feasibility analysis, statutory and regulatory analysis, and drafting and negotiation of agreements. This program has two types of grants:
 

• Single project grants ranging from $200,000 up to $750,000 each
• Multi-community grants ranging from $500,000 up to $2.25 million each to fund projects in at least three eligible communities submitted in a single application

Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants with qualifying projects. The application form will be available starting at 11:00 a.m. Pacific on March 4.

• Read the press release

The Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTAC) Grants Database includes a wide array of funding opportunities. For application assistance, contact your regional TCTAC. The EJ TCTACS are a collaborative initiative of EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy.

NOAA Fisheries has $100 million in funding available for habitat restoration and coastal resilience. Of the $100 million available, 15 percent is specifically available to U.S. federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and organizations that represent Tribes through formal legal agreements, direct awards or subawards:

Selected projects will have a transformative impact for coastal communities and tribes across the country. They will help sustain our nation’s fisheries, make significant strides in the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and help protect coastal communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. They will support efforts such as reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, building living shorelines that protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise, and more.

NOAA will accept proposals between $750,000 and $10 million for the entire award, with typical funding anticipated to range from $4 million to $6 million.

The WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program provides cost-share funding for the study, design, and construction of large-scale aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that improve the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitat, including through habitat restoration or the removal or bypass of fish passage barriers. Common project types include dam removal or modification, restoration of floodplain connectivity, implementation of nature-based solutions, and other related activities. The first round of applications are due by April 15. The second round of applications are due February 17, 2026.  

• Apply 

An informational webinar will be held on January 16 at 12:00 Pacific.

• Join the webinar on Teams. 

This competition is designed to support Tribal Nations in addressing their unique and critical needs. Priorities include strengthening education, preserving traditional languages and cultural practices, advancing environmental stewardship, fostering economic opportunity, promoting healthy futures, and enhancing the quality of life for veterans. Hundreds of AmeriCorps members will be placed across Indian Country to create positive, lasting change. Applicants may be eligible for 100% match replacement.

• Apply

NOAA Fisheries will announce the availability of $20 million in funding for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities, including through capacity building. This funding has been made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This is the third and final round of this funding opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Of the $20 million in funding available, 15 percent is specifically available to U.S. federally recognized tribes through direct awards or subawards. The remaining funding will be available to all eligible applicants, to support opportunities for tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities.

Through this funding, NOAA will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to more fully participate in restoration activities. Projects selected through this opportunity will span several types of activities, including capacity building and restoration:

●      Capacity building includes activities such as participation in municipal or regional-scale resilience planning, project planning and feasibility studies, community engagement, or developing proposals for future funding.

●      Restoration includes activities such as demonstration projects, engineering and design, permitting, and on-the-ground habitat restoration work.

Across all of these activities, selected projects will work to ensure that the needs and priorities of tribes and underserved communities are at the center of habitat restoration and coastal resilience efforts happening in their communities.

NOAA will accept proposals with a federal funding request of between $75,000 and $2 million for the entire award, with typical funding anticipated to range from $250,000 to $1 million. The application deadline is May 12, 2025. For more information, view the Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communitiesfunding opportunity.

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has a long history conducting habitat restoration efforts by executing large-scale competitive funding opportunities and providing expert technical assistance through its Community-based Restoration Program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act present a historic opportunity for NOAA to continue making an impact for fisheries, threatened and endangered species, and coastal communities, including tribes. To date, we have funded 214 awards totaling $985 million through two rounds of funding competitions.  This funding opportunity will be posted on Grants.govtomorrow. Please let me know if you have any questions

The new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center, funded by EPA Region 10, has set up an up-to-date library of funding opportunities for communities across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The table of funding opportunities, which can be sorted by funding type and state, is available at: https://nwejc.org/find-funding

EPA’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox (CRAFT) contains resources to help EPA’s funding applicants and recipients make climate-informed investments. CRAFT includes overviews of EPA funding programs where climate resilience considerations might be incorporated, climate risk tools and resources to evaluate and consider climate change risks, and communication materials to facilitate meaningful discussions about adaptation, resilience and environmental justice.  

• A presentation about the toolbox is attached. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Community Power Accelerator connects community-benefiting solar projects and developers (including community-based organizations) with philanthropists, lenders, and investors to drive a more equitable clean energy transition. The Accelerator offers five free services to connect developers and projects with capital providers, training opportunities, technical assistance, a credit-ready checklist, and the DOE Community Power Accelerator Prize.

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Partnership’s Puget Sound Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool (PS RAFT) collects information about national, state, and regional funding opportunities. 

Developed in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and community allies, this program is a direct response to the need for equitable, community-centered transportation solutions. Applicants must serve overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and people disproportionately impacted by transportation inequities, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Grant funds must be used for low-carbon transportation improvements that benefit environmental justice communities in Washington State.

• Apply