Application Notes:

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. MT on one of the following dates:

• Round 1: March 11, 2025
• Round 2: February 10, 2026

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov (strongly encouraged), or by mail, express/overnight delivery, or courier services to the mailing address provided in the Contact section. Applicants submitting a hard-copy application must notify Nathan Moeller using the information provided in the Contact section by 5:00 p.m. MT on the appropriate submission date. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

• Mandatory application components:
  • SF 424
  • SF 424A
  • SF 424B
  • Technical proposal (20 pages max)
  • Budget narrative
  • SF LLL
• Recommended application components:
  • Environmental and cultural resources compliance
  • Required permits or approvals
  • Overlap or duplication of effort statement
  • Conflict of interest disclosure statement
  • Uniform audit reporting statement
  • Letters of support
  • Letter of partnership (if applicable)
  • Official resolution
  • Letter of funding commitment

The application is limited to 100 pages. The technical proposal must be formatted on consecutively numbered, standard-sized pages with one-inch margins and must use an easily readable 12-point font. It is highly recommended that application packages be structured in the order identified on page 7 of the NOFA file.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
• SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Informational webinars will be held for this program in January and December 2025. Additional information regarding the webinars may become available online at www.usbr.gov.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Water management challenge (25 points)
• Project benefits (25 points)
• Project implementation (20 points)
• Dissemination of results (15 points)
• Presidential and Department of Interior priorities (15 points)

Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.

Match Notes:

The matching requirement will vary according to project type. Applicants able to demonstrate that their project is for the purpose of increasing water supply reliability for ecological values and is being developed as part of a collaborative planning process that included consideration of ecological values will be required to contribute at least 25 percent of the total project costs. Applicants with projects that do not meet this requirement must provide at least 50 percent of the total project costs.

Government entities of an insular area, which include the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are exempt from the matching requirement.

Matching contributions may be made through cash, costs contributed by the applicant, or third-party in-kind contributions. Third-party in-kind contributions may include the value of non-cash contributions of property or services that benefit the project and are contributed by nonfederal third parties, without charge. Matching contributions from outside the applicant's organization should be secured and available to the applicant prior to award.

Matching contributions may not include other sources of federal funding, except in cases where the federal statue authorizing a program specifically provides that federal funds made available for such program can be applied to the matching requirement of other federal programs.

Matching contributions may not include the cost or value of third-party in-kind contributions that have been or will be relied on to satisfy the matching requirement for another federal financial assistance agreement, a federal procurement contract, or any other award of federal funds.

Funding Notes:

Approximately $6 million to $10 million is available through this program for each funding round to support approximately 15 to 25 grants or cooperative agreements of up to $400,000 each for each funding round.

For the first funding round, award notifications are expected to be provided in August 2025, the award date is anticipated to occur in December 2025, and the anticipated project completion date will occur in December 2027. For the second funding round, award notifications are expected to be provided in June 2026, the award date is anticipated to occur in November 2026, and the anticipated project completion date will occur in November 2028.

Pre-award costs are limited to the circumstances detailed on page 36 of the NOFA file.

Funds may not be used for:

• Projects to research and/or develop new and novel methods or technologies
• Planning studies, such as feasibility studies, appraisal investigations, water marketing strategies, and drought contingency plans
• Projects to develop or demonstrate tools and technologies supporting water reuse, water recycling, and desalination projects
• Projects considered normal operations, maintenance, and replacement (OM&R)
• Construction projects to improve water management
• Projects funded under other federal grants
• Lobbying
• Costs for preparing and submitting an application

For FY 2023, a total of $13.3 million was distributed via 51 awards through this program. Refer to the Award file for details.