Funding

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline July 14, 2023. The Tribal Solar Gap Funding Grant supports solar projects of any type that require a tribal cost-share (ex. Federal or State grant programs) or are leveraging funding from other grant opportunities or initiatives. Applicants may apply for gap funding up to $250,000. These projects should be positioned to deploy solar energy with an existing funding gap (cost share) which is preventing the project from being completed. With this round of gap funding TSAF aims to enhance and strengthen tribal solar energy development and infrastructure inclusive of other impactful renewable energy technologies (battery storage, clean mobility/charging stations etc.) and to provide funding toward larger scale solar projects that benefit a significant number of tribal community members.

Categories: solar, tribal energy, resiliency, tribal communities, education, training, workforce development

The Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup was created to coordinate federal assistance to tribes to help them comply with the municipal solid waste landfill regulations. Successful proposals should characterize/assess open dumps, develop integrated waste management (IWM) plans, develop and implement alternative solid waste management activities/facilities; or develop and implement cleanup, closure, and post-closure programs for open dumps in Indian Country. Each proposal must address only one of the four proposal categories described above.

Categories: Water, Regulatory, Research

Deadline Passed 02/22/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible organizations to provide the outreach and technical assistance necessary to increase tribal participation in the National Environmental Exchange Network (EN), which is an element of E-Enterprise for the Environment (EE). The EN is an Internet-based system used by state, tribal and territorial partners to securely share environmental and health information with one another and EPA. The objective of the cooperative agreement is to strengthen the data and information technology (IT) management skills of tribes so they can fully participate in innovative technology efforts of the EN, and incorporate data schema, software, and services developed by EN partnerships into their environmental management programs.

Categories: technical assistance, information exchange, environment, health, information technology, management

Grant deadline unknown for 2016. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to provide tribal training, technical and outreach support for the American Indian Air Quality Training Program. The American Indian Air Quality Training Program (AIAQTP) provides workshop training, internships and technical support to tribal governments seeking to investigate, develop and establish air quality management programs for lands under their jurisdiction and provides opportunity for American Indian students to pursue environmental careers in the field of air quality management. The Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center is a component of the AIAQTP, and is a partnership effort between the selected grant recipient and EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, hosted by the Radiation and Indoor Environments National (R&IEL) laboratory in Las Vegas, to provide a full spectrum of technical support to tribes undertaking air quality monitoring and related activities.

Categories: workshop training, technical support, internships, Air Quality

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: January 15, 2024. Transportation fatalities and injuries severely impact the quality of life in Indian country. Each year under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), as enacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), 4% of the available TTP funds are set aside to address transportation safety issues identified by federally recognized Indian tribes through a competitive, discretionary program. Projects are chosen whose outcomes will reduce fatal and serious injuries in transportation related incidents, such as motor vehicle crashes.

2017 deadline: June 15, 2017. Unknown for 2018. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities that will provide training, peer-to-peer technical assistance and travel scholarships to federally-recognized tribes in support of waste management capacity building on tribal lands. The recipient will conduct three training courses that will assist tribes in the development and implementation of sustainable waste management programs. The training will focus on implementing an Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) through waste diversion programs such as recycling, composting, et al. The training courses should include tribal speakers that have developed and implemented successful waste diversion programs. In addition, the recipient will offer travel scholarships to support the trainings as well as provide travel scholarships to financially assist tribes that voluntarily participate in the EPA’s National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program.

Categories: pollution, human hazard, sustainability, conservation, planning, policy, management, waste, sanitation, infrastructure

Most recent deadline: 01/15/2021. Tribal Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) assist tribal governments and intertribal consortia to develop or refine tribal programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of these grants is to develop/refine tribal wetland programs. The goals of EPA’s wetland program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland condition. In pursuing these goals, EPA seeks to develop the capacity of all levels of government to develop and refine effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.

Categories: wetlands, conservation, clean water act

Most Recent Deadline: June 18, 2021. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the availability of funding through the Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program.  The TWG Program was created to support the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished. The TWG Program provides opportunities for federally recognized Tribes to engage in fish and wildlife conservation efforts on their lands, many of which are located adjacent to DOI- managed lands. Many of the TWG Program-funded project activities increase fish and wildlife populations, allowing for hunting and fishing opportunities on and off Tribal lands. Additionally, the TWG Program also funds project activities that align and assist the Service with Endangered Species Act (ESA) activities supporting downlisting, delisting, and preventing species listing under the ESA.  Estimated Total Program Funding:   $6,000,000; Award Ceiling: $200,000; Award Floor: $10,000. Eligible Applicants: Federally recognized tribal governments. For more information, visit: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332220. Contact Information:  If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact DJ Monette at DJ_Monette@fws.gov.   

Categories: Natural Resources, Wildlife, Water, Fisheries, Conservation, Research, Education, Conservation, habitat, Wildlife, preservation

Recent Deadline: 3/12/2021. The Truman D. Picard Scholarship Program is dedicated to the support of Native American students pursuing a higher education in Natural Resources. 

Categories: Natural Resources, Students

US Forest Services Research and Development has entered into a partnership with The Wildlife Society (TWS) that includes support for Native American wildlife biology college and graduate students to both attend the national annual conference, and to gain experience working with Forest Service R&D wildlife research biologists or ecologists in a Research Assistant position for a field season. TWS is committed to developing wildlife biology expertise within Native American communities, and helping to prepare the students for successful careers. R&D is committed to partnerships with tribes and tribal colleges. USFS scientists will submit proposals detailing their interest, while Native American students will submit separate applications. USFS proposals that include a specific student will also be considered. Please contact Monica Tomosy, National Wildlife Research Program Leader and Liaison to the National
Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center USDA Forest Service Research, for more information: mstomosy@fs.fed.us; 703-402-5625.

Categories: Research, Natural Resource Management

Deadline passed as of July 15, 2016. Grant projects must support the survey, inventory, and designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks. Successful proposals will emphasize creative projects that promote the preservation of your jurisdiction’s diverse cultural resources.

Categories: Historic Preservation, Underrepresented Communities, National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks

Deadline passed as of April 20, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The initiative extends the foundation’s work beyond the school day, to provide children with access to fresh fruit and vegetables afterschool, on the weekends, during summer breaks and in other creative venues. The program provides $25,000 in grants to local community organizations and groups that share the United Fresh Start Foundation’s commitment to increasing kids’ access to fresh produce, helping them develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. Grants will support programs, events and/or activities that increase children’s access to fresh produce.

Categories: food justice, distribution, nutrition, education, diet, health, noncommunicable disease,accessibility, local, fresh, economy, school, youth

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 1, 2023. The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities that are working to provide equitable access to trees and green spaces and the benefits they provide. The Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program is a technical, financial, and educational assistance program, delivering nature-based solutions to ensure a resilient and equitable tree canopy where more than 84 percent of Americans live.

Categories: IRA, community health, green space, urban landscape

EPA’s Urban Waters Program helps local residents and their organizations, particularly those in underserved communities, restore their urban waters in ways that also benefit community and economic revitalization. One of the ways the Urban Waters Program is accomplishing this mission is through the Urban Waters Small Grants Program. This program recognizes that healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational, social, and employment opportunities in nearby communities.

Categories: Water, urban communities, community revitalization

Deadline passed. The next application window expected to open early 2023. The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens. The projects funded by these grants will help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet.

Categories: Development, Internet

The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance grants to establish programs to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations.

Categories: Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses

Deadline Passed. Latest Deadline: July 11, 2022. The USDA is seeking applications for grants to preserve and repair housing for very-low- and low-income families living in rural areas. The funds are being made available through USDA Rural Development's Housing Preservation Grant program. USDA does not provide funding directly to homeowners under this program.

Categories: Infrastructure, public health, rural housing

Grant deadline unknown for 2016. Communities are invited to apply for assistance from Local Foods, Local Places, a new program supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to help create more livable places by promoting local foods. Priorities given to communities within Appalachia and surrounding regions, see application for more details.

Categories: public health, Agriculture, food justice, sustainability, human health, disease, local, economy

The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations.

Categories: Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses

Deadline: 5/28/21. The U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) requests proposals to substantially expand and accelerate the availability of science-based information to inform producer decisions on the adoption and design of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. The agreements awarded under this announcement will support the USDA goal to strengthen the stewardship of private lands through technology and research, and the need by natural resource professionals for information that supports producer adoption of agroforestry. This Request for Proposals supports the efforts of the National Agroforestry Center (NAC) as identified in Section 8502 of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The U.S Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) requests proposals for wood energy projects that require engineering services necessary for final design and cost analysis. The Hazardous Fuels Wood to Energy (W2E) Grant Program will fund projects for which some or all of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest Service System lands as a result of hazardous fuel treatments, forest restoration activities, insect and disease mitigation, catastrophic weather events, or thinning overstocked stands. Projects that use woody biomass from multiple land ownerships (State, Tribal, or private lands) and multiple sources (wood products facilities, urban wood waste, etc.) will be considered as long as some of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest System lands. Projects that do not anticipate using any wood from National Forest System lands will not be eligible. The woody biomass must be used in commercially proven wood energy systems to produce thermal, electrical, liquid, or gaseous energy. Examples of projects might include, but are not limited to, engineering design of a woody biomass boiler that generates steam at a sawmill, hospital, or school; a nonpressurized hot water system; a biomass power generation facility; or geographic or sector-based clusters of wood energy systems. The lack of a professional engineering design often limits the ability of an applicant to secure Federal, State, or private funding. This program is intended for applicants seeking financial assistance to complete the necessary engineering design work, including permitting or other preconstruction analyses, required to secure public or private funding for construction of wood energy projects.

Categories: Renewable energy, Natural Resource Management, Disaster Mitigation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) receives funds to support collaborative science and knowledge activities of the NPLCC. The USFWS Pacific Region awards these funds for financial assistance through a competitive process for projects, studies, and events that support natural and cultural resource conservation in the face of climate change and other landscape-scale stressors. The NPLCC recognizes the importance of considering both western science and traditional knowledges to advance landscape-scale conservation and sustainable resource management.

Categories: Natural Resource Conservation, Cultural Resource Conservation, Climate Change, Financial Assistance

Deadline passed as of June 24, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown.The VAPG program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the goals of this program. You may receive priority if you are a beginning farmer or rancher, a socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher, a small or medium-sized farm or ranch structured as a family farm, a farmer or rancher cooperative, or are proposing a mid-tier value chain. Grants are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a notice published in the Federal Register and through an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

Categories: Small Farmers and Ranchers, Sustainable Agriculture, Family Farms, Marketing Opportunities.

The Village Safe Water Program provides technical and financial support to communities to design and construct water and wastewater systems. It is meant to assist Alaska Native Villages and Alaska rural communities with the construction of new or improved drinking water and wastewater systems. This funding can also be used to provide training and technical assistance in the operations and maintenance of these systems.

Categories: Water, Natural Resources, Education

Deadline Passed 09/01/2018. On October 2, 2017 (The Trust Effective Date, or TED), the United States District Court approved the final Mitigation Trust Agreements, completing the settlement with automaker Volkswagen AG (VW), to resolve allegations that VW violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) by selling diesel-engine cars that produced excess emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The Mitigation Trust Agreements are designed to reduce NOx emissions from other diesel engine vehicles, thereby mitigating the effects of the VW violations. All 567 federally-recognized Tribes can apply for beneficiary status.

Categories: NOx emission reduction, mitigation

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) encourages private landowners to voluntarily make their land available to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation. States and tribes approved for funding of this Farm Service Agency (FSA) program use the funds as incentives to encourage private landowners of farms, ranches, and forests to make that land available to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation. This may include hunting or fishing. The overall goal of VPA-HIP is to enhance wildlife habitat and management and to boost local economies through activities that attract wildlife enthusiasts.

Categories: Conservation, recreation

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. Eligible program participants receive financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices, or activities like conservation planning, that address natural resource concerns on their land. Payments are made to participants after conservation practices and activities identified in an EQIP plan of operations are implemented. Contracts can last up to ten years in duration.

Categories: natural resources, agriculture, water and air quality, conservation,

Application Window is from October 1st - December 31st each year. This program helps qualified, private non-profits provide technical assistance and training to (a) identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems; (b) assist applicants in preparing applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants; and (c) assist associations in improving operation and maintenance of existing water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas.

Categories: Water, waste disposal, training

Deadline Passed 06/01/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019.  FOA: BOR-UC-18-F001. The Bureau of Reclamation's Upper Colorado Region is requesting applications for the Water Conservation Field Service Program (WCFSP). Through the WCFSP, which is managed by each of Reclamation’s regional offices, Reclamation makes cost-shared financial assistance available for the development of water conservation plans and design of water management improvements, identifying water management improvements through System Optimization Reviews, and improving the understanding of water conservation techniques through demonstration activities.

Categories: Water Conservation, Water resources, Natural resources.

The objective of this FOA is to invite irrigation and water districts, Indian Tribes, states, local governments, water providers, and other entities that have a tie to Reclamation projects to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on activities/projects that make more efficient use of existing water supplies through water conservation and efficiency in the SCAO.

Categories: Water Conservation