Funding Opportunities

There are currently open Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the CHIPS and Science Act.

Below is a two-week lookahead calendar of tentative funding and award announcements prepared by the White House.

The White House has also provided a Technical Assistance Guide to help you access funding and a PDF with open NOFOs. (The latter document is embedded below for your ease of use.)

Ongoing 

FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)

• Closing Date: December 20, 2024
• Description: FEMA announced new funding to better equip and train emergency response personnel, enhance operational efficiencies, foster communications interoperability between emergency responders, and support community risk reduction and resilience. These grants will provide financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations, and state fire training academies. Click here to apply for AFG funding.

Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grant Program

• Closing Date: December 30, 2024
• Description: The EPA made available $35 million in competitive grant funding nationwide to reduce lead in drinking water through cooperative agreement grants. Communities can apply directly for this grant funding here.

Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crops

• Closing Date: January 8, 2025
• Description: USDA announced the creation of the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative that will provide $2 billion to assist specialty crop growers in maintaining a strong domestic supply and expanding market opportunities for their crops. Click here to learn more and apply. 

Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring Funding Program

• Closing Date: January 17, 2025
• Description: The Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring opened applications for communities across the U.S. to monitor and evaluate factors influencing local heat risk. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, selected communities will receive $10,000 and technical support to collect heat distribution data through community-led campaigns. Rural communities, tribal nations, U.S. territories and communities that have not previously undergone heat mapping are especially encouraged to apply. To learn more and apply, click here. 

Drinking Water State Revolving Funds

• Description: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $268,618,000 in drinking water infrastructure funding for California through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will flow through the drinking water state revolving funds (DWSRFs) and is available to support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects. Additionally, 49% of the funding must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. You can apply through the State of California here or contact Mike Downey at (916) 341-5698.
• Technical Assistance: The EPA's water technical assistance (WaterTA), including the LSLR Accelerators and the Get the Lead Out Initiative, can help communities identify lead service lines, develop replacement plans, and apply for DWSRF funding to get the lead out. 

Lead in Drinking Water Funding for Schools, Childcare, and More

• Description: There are additional federal funding options available to support lead pipe replacement projects. The EPA has a webpage that identifies the additional available funding sources.

Week of December 9

Indian Water Rights Settlements

• Target Date: December 9
• Description: The Department of the Interior is announcing a $65 million investment to continue fulfilling settlements of Indian water rights claims with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These awards will support major water projects across the West to secure reliable water supplies for Tribes.

Forest Management Awards to Tribes

• Target Date: December 9
• Description: The Department of Agriculture is announcing that the Forest Service will invest $20 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations and villages access financial resources through emerging private markets for forest resilience, climate mitigation, water quality, carbon sequestration and more.

Ocean Accelerators Program

• Target Date: December 9
• Description: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is announcing that it is recommending awards totaling $54.3 million to four organizations to support small businesses and entrepreneurs as they bring to market solutions to benefit coastal resilience and a sustainable "Blue Economy." 

Forest Legacy Program and Forest Landowner Support

• Target Date: December 11
• Description: The Department of Agriculture is announcing awards of nearly $335 million to strengthen financial incentives for private forest landowners to manage their forests sustainably and to permanently conserve private forests in partnership with states.

Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Selections 

• Target Date: December 11
• Description: The Environmental Protection Agency is announcing $740 million in awards from the Inflation Reduction Act to replace heavy duty vehicles with zero emissions vehicles, while also supporting the build out of clean vehicle infrastructure by training workers to deploy these new zero-emission technologies.

Brownfields Job Training Program Selections 

• Target Date: December 12
• Description: The Environmental Protection Agency will announce Brownfields Job Training Program grantee selections. This funding will support workforce development programs in environmental remediation. 

Abandoned Hardrock Mines 

• Target Date: December 12
• Description: The Department of the Interior will announce $3.7 million to address abandoned hardrock mines across the country.

Week of December 16

Orphaned Wells on Federal Lands Selections

• Description: The Department of the Interior will announce $110 million in selections to plug orphaned oil and gas wells on federal lands as part of the Federal Program within the Orphaned Wells program. This funding will go to federal agencies to plug wells on their lands nationwide.

Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Awards 

• Description: The Department of Transportation will announce $140 million in awards for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) program, which will provide funding to public sector agencies to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.