Opportunities for Funding

What is the TAG Program?
The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program provides funds ranging from $40,000 to $150,000 to eligible communities to hire independent Technical Advisors with the goal to effectively communicate technical information to communities so they can become more involved and informed about Response Actions (cleanup sites). Response actions include activities performed to address a release or potential release of contamination at a property under DTSC oversight.

What is a Technical Advisor?
A Technical Advisor (TA) is a person who will provide the grantee with an unbiased, independent review of Cleanup Site-related information. Technical Advisors should be qualified in areas related to the type of contamination and specific issues relevant to the Cleanup Site. Please review Appendix A in the TAG Guidelines 2.0 for a list of key qualifications.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control TAG Program is building a vendor list of interested and available independent TAs to support the recipients of the TAG awarded by the TAG program. The list is available as a resource to TAG applicants who are looking to identify and hire TAs to support their proposed TAG projects.

The information provided will be directly transferred to DTSC’s TAG website to allow community organizations to contact a TA of their choice to assist them in the implementation of their TAG award. The inclusion of a TA on the list generated as a result of this informal request does not mean that the Statement of Interest and Qualifications (SOIQ) application has been prequalified or otherwise approved for the participation of the TAG program. TAG applicants will remain responsible for investigating TA qualifications prior to entering into a contract with any TA whose submission is provided in response to this request.

To be included on the vendor list, please review the TAG SOIQ Information and submit the Statement of Interest and Qualifications for Technical Advisors form.

To view the current vendor list, please visit TAG’s New Applicant Resources webpage.

There are three types of grants within the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program, which are designed to fund a range of projects that will enable EPA to help states, territories, Tribes, local governments, and communities improve and transform their recycling and materials management infrastructure:

1. SWIFR Grants for States and Territories

2. SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia

3. SWIFR Grants for Political Subdivisions

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for the SWIFR Grants for Political Subdivisions. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $58,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20 to 30 assistance agreements, with at least one award per EPA Region, depending on the quantity and quality of applications received. The minimum individual award amount is $500,000 and the maximum individual award is $5,000,000 for the grant period, which is up to three years. Please see the NOFO for more information

Transmission Acceleration Grants (TAG) will support State and Tribal efforts to accelerate and improve transmission siting and permitting and strengthen transmission planning for critical transmission lines (100 kV or greater) in any area of the country. Eligible participants are State or Tribal entities, or entities working with them such as regional transmission planning organizations, regional-state committees, or not-for-profit organizations. The TAG Program is making $10 million in funding available at this time.

Transmission Acceleration Grants (TAG) are a new opportunity from the Grid Deployment Office to accelerate transmission development. These grants will support initiatives to modernize and accelerate State transmission planning, siting, and permitting processes and increase the capacity of State and Tribal governments to engage in transmission development activities. States and Tribes (or entities working with them, such as regional transmission planning organizations, regional-state committees, or not-for-profit organizations) can apply for a grant to study or implement modern approaches to assess the need for and impacts of new transmission infrastructure, or to increase the speed of transmission project reviews.

Example approaches include:

identifying preferred transmission corridors,
streamlining permitting processes,
coordinating with other jurisdictions, or
enhancing or expanding transmission planning and facilitation-related activities.
TAG is managed by TechWerx in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a collaboration made possible through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) set up by the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. TechWerx is facilitating this opportunity to identify performers for the first round of TAG. Additional rounds are subject to the availability of funds. Learn more about PIAs here.

This FOA builds on efforts by the DOE Office of Indian Energy and the authorities granted to the DOE Office of Indian Energy under EPAct 2005, to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technology on Tribal Lands. In addition to the $75 million committed to tribal energy projects selected in 2023, between 2010 and 2022, the DOE Office of Indian Energy invested over $120 million in more than 210 tribal energy projects implemented across the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. These projects, valued at more than $215 million, are leveraged by over $93 million in Recipient cost share. See the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy website for a map and summaries of these competitively funded projects.

Through this FOA, the DOE Office of Indian Energy will continue its efforts to advance Tribal
energy sovereignty and maximize the deployment of clean, reliable, affordable and local energy solutions. In support of these objectives, the DOE Office of Indian Energy intends to provide financial support to Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to plan the transition of their campuses to clean energy.

Through grants, the DOE Office of Indian Energy intends to provide financial support under the provisions of the Title V of EPAct 2005.

The level of commitment and capabilities of the Applicant and project participants to
accomplish the proposed project will be major factors in selecting applications for funding.

The application must also demonstrate the organizational and technical readiness and Applicant commitment to the proposed project. In addition to specific technical evaluation criteria to be identified in the planned FOA, the Selection Official may also have the ability to consider the following program policy factors in making selections under the FOA: geographic distribution; the optimum use of available DOE funding to achieve programmatic objectives; whether the tribal community has high energy costs; whether the tribal community is not connected to the traditional centralized electrical power grid; and/or Applicants who have not previously received a grant from the Office of Indian Energy.

Within scope and budget, the DOE Office of Indian Energy may, upon request, provide technical assistance to eligible Applicants who apply under this FOA and whose applications are comprehensively reviewed, but not selected for negotiation.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is requesting proposals to restore, protect and enhance populations of Mojave desert tortoise and their habitat in California’s western Mojave Desert. Up to $1 million in funding is expected to be available through support from the U.S. Marine Corps.

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS/PROGRAM FUNDING PRIORITIES
This Request for Proposals (RFP) is part of NFWF’s Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership, and will provide funding to projects that produce measurable outcomes for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise in California’s Western Mojave Desert Recovery Unit focal areas (Figure 1). Priority projects will address the leading factors in Mojave desert tortoise decline such as habitat alteration and fragmentation, environmental change and direct tortoise mortality. The primary goal of this program is to marshal resources in a coordinated manner to work to recover the species by protecting Mojave desert tortoises from reducing or eliminating threats to the tortoise and restoring critical habitat. Conservation activities referenced in NFWF’s Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Implementation Plan will be most competitive. Projects that address desert tortoise conservation needs should be located in one or more of six focal areas in the Western Mojave Recovery Unit (Figure 1). However, highway exclusion fencing projects will be prioritized along priority road sections within the Western Mojave Desert identified in Figure 1.

In FY25, the Partnership is specifically soliciting projects in areas where contemporary linear disturbance density is less than or equal to 0.6 km/km2, the approximate and best available maximum linear disturbance density threshold for positive tortoise population expansion. The FY25 Recovery and Sustainment Partnership (RASP) Priority Project Areas comprise tortoise habitats with a minimum linear disturbance density of less than or equal to 0.6 km/km2 and are intended to further direct project proposals within existing focal areas (Figure 2). This strategy intends to make the greatest impact with existing resources in the near term.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for projects that improve the quality of ungulate seasonal habitat, stopover areas, and migration corridors on federal land and/or voluntary efforts on private and Tribal land that have been prioritized by states as a result of Interior Secretarial Order 3362 (SO 3362) or Native nations. Projects will promote robust, sustainable populations of big game such as elk, mule deer and pronghorn, have positive effects on a wide diversity of other species and implement strategies that increase habitat connectivity and climate resiliency. Expected funding for the effort is approximately $3 million, and major partners include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Forest Service (FS), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and ConocoPhillips.

All proposals must outline specifically how projects will directly address state game and fish (wildlife) department priorities as identified in state action plans, or specific priority projects on Tribal lands. We encourage applicants to engage state and Tribal game and fish agencies, local and tribal governments early to communicate intent and garner support. The required letters of support may take extended periods of time to obtain. For projects that are adjacent to Tribal lands, we encourage applicants to include a letter of support from relevant Tribal agencies. Similarly, projects on or adjacent to federal lands will be more competitive with letters of support from local federal land management offices.

Funding priorities to conserve or restore habitat and measurably contribute to the sustainability of local and regional ungulate populations include:

Restoring degraded priority habitat, stopover areas, and migration corridors through activities identified in state or Indigenous plans, such as removing encroaching trees from sagebrush ecosystems, rehabilitating areas damaged by fire, or treating exotic/invasive vegetation to improve the quality and value of these areas to big game and other wildlife.

Work cooperatively with diverse partners to achieve wildlife friendly fencing measures, including potentially modifying (via smooth wire), removing (if no longer necessary), installing (if serving to direct big game movement out of harm’s way), or seasonally adapting (seasonal lay down) fencing if proven to impede movement of big game through priority migration corridors or habitat.

Implement measures such as conservation easements and management agreements or other actions to protect bottlenecks within corridors and other areas within priority habitat or stopover areas threatened by fragmentation.

Utilize other proven actions to improve priority big game seasonal habitat, stopover areas, or migration corridors across the West.

Develop and support positions that further the above priorities with specific funds available to support NRCS programs.

Community Impact and Engagement: Projects that incorporate outreach, foster community engagement, and pursue collaborative management leading to measurable conservation benefits are encouraged. When possible, projects should be developed through community input and co-design processes. Additionally, projects should engage community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, non-governmental organizations, community organizations, community leaders) to help design, implement, and maintain projects to secure maximum benefits for communities, maintenance, and sustainability post-grant award.

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:

Additional funding is available in this request for proposals (RFP) specifically for capacity building and technical assistance that aligns with NRCS priorities. Projects on private, working lands should provide technical assistance to interested producers to develop management plans, design and implement conservation practices, and participate in Farm Bill programs, especially the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). A particular emphasis should be placed on promoting, designing, and implementing climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF) conservation practices and reducing the Farm Bill practice contracting and implementation backlog. Successful projects will also seek to increase conservation program participation and practice adoption among Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis producers and forestland owners.

Please ensure the project is in alignment with NRCS goals and priorities by conferring with the NRCS State Conservationist and their staff in the state in which your project is located. A list of NRCS state contacts can be found here.
Please note that grantees applying for these capacity building funds may be required to report on additional performance metrics related to capacity building, conservation planning and practice implementation to be negotiated between NFWF and the grantee after award decisions have been made. Outcomes proposed under this category should comply with NRCS Conservation Practice Standards.

IDAHO FOCUS: There is dedicated funding available to support two positions in Idaho to work with NRCS staff and partners engaged in the Big Game Migration Initiative to develop an approach where existing Farm Bill programs could be strategically implemented in a way that maximizes benefits to both migrating animals and the working lands that support them.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)—in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, FedEx and Southern Company—are pleased to solicit applications for the 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. This program will award approximately $2.5 million in grants nationwide.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support.

Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, wildlife habitat, urban agriculture and community gardens, wildlife and water quality monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off.

Projects should increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning, outreach and implementation. This program expects that applicants will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities. NFWF may use a mix of public and private funding sources to support any grant made through this program and we expect that more than half of projects awarded will engage underserved communities.

The BLM California Threatened and Endangered Species Program focuses on implementing the Department of Interior’s priorities by emphasizing actions that: protect biodiversity; slow species extinction rates; increase resilience to climate change and help leverage natural climate solutions; contribute to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by the year 2030; support State agencies to meet State wildlife population objectives; engage communities of color, low income families, and rural and indigenous communities to enhance economic opportunities related to wildlife; and use the best science and data available to make decisions.

The BLM California Threatened and Endangered Species Program has an opportunity to work with partner organizations to assist with:

Contributing to the above-described Program strategic goals.

On-the-ground actions that conserve and recover federally-listed, Bureau sensitive, and rare wildlife and plants.

Targeted inventory and monitoring to determine species status and conservation opportunities.

Gaining knowledge about federally-listed, Bureau sensitive, and rare species and their habitats including, but not limited to, propagation, genetics, ecology and threats.

Providing for proactive protection or management of federally-listed, Bureau sensitive, and rare species and their habitats, consistent with ESA section 7a1.

Augmenting federally-listed, Bureau sensitive, and rare species through translocations, seed collections, and/or propagation.

Increasing program efficiencies and effectiveness in Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7a2 consultations and ESA section 7a1 conservation programs.

Increasing public knowledge of federally-listed, Bureau sensitive, and rare wildlife and plants on BLM managed lands, including with a targeted focus on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities.

Communications including program outreach, education, and Program website updates.

The NFPP is a voluntary program that provides direct technical and financial assistance to partners to remove instream barriers, restore aquatic organism passage, and restore climate resilient aquatic connectivity in rivers, floodplains, and coastal habitats for the benefit of Federal trust resources. The program targets aquatic connectivity opportunities that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery and conservation of the Service’s aquatic trust species, enhance watershed health, promote resilient ecosystems and communities especially in disadvantaged communities, and improve economic vitality, including local employment. NFPP aims to maintain or increase native fish populations to improve ecosystem resiliency and provide quality fishing experiences for the American people. Activities that restore aquatic connectivity and fish passage also support the modernization of the country’s infrastructure such as road culverts, bridges, and water diversions contributing to enhanced community resilience to the impacts from climate change and other public safety hazards. NFPP funds a variety of project types including, but not limited to dam removals, culvert replacements, floodplain restoration and reconnection, dike breaches, and reconnection of tidal habitats.

The NFPP is delivered through the Service’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program (FAC) across all States and territories. FAC staff coordinate with project partners, stakeholders, and other Service programs to identify and collaboratively develop and implement projects within regional priority areas. Project work plans are developed strategically, in coordination with partners, and with substantial involvement from FAC staff. Projects must be based upon sound scientific and technical principles, advance the Service mission, and promote aquatic ecosystem resilience. Applicants seeking funding under this program should contact the regional NFPP Coordinator that corresponds to the location of the project for additional information on regional priorities and coordination with FAC staff prior to applying for funding. Contacts are listed at: https://www.fws.gov/program/national-fish-passage/contact-us.

A principal objective of the NFPP is to provide technical assistance to partners in support of projects that aim to restore aquatic connectivity and aquatic organism passage through the removal of instream barriers and the reconnection of floodplains. We use our staff and cooperative partnerships to provide (1) information on native aquatic species habitat needs and methods for aquatic connectivity; (2) technical engineering support to develop or review project designs and recommend the most effective techniques; (3) assistance to partners in planning and prioritizing fish passage projects; and (4) assistance in fulfilling environmental compliance requirements.

The NFPP prioritizes projects that will: (1) maximize benefits to native priority species and habitats; (2) provide sustainable fish passage benefits; (3) contribute to or otherwise leverage regional or watershed priorities for habitat restoration, fish passage, or aquatic connectivity; (4) enhance community resilience to climate change, address other public safety hazards and generally, provide other co-benefits such as job creation or recreational fishing opportunities; (5) involve advance coordination on species and watershed priorities with Tribes and States; (6) provide benefits to or engage with disadvantaged communities; and (7) be supported by partners, affected stakeholders, and the local community.

Activities proposed under this award may include project planning and feasibility studies, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, near-term implementation monitoring, project outreach, and capacity to manage these project-related activities. Applicants may apply for funding to support any combination of these activities however, priority will be given to applications that can demonstrate a clear timeline and pathway for on-the-ground implementation within a timely manner (i.e., 1-4 years). Proposals that focus on the removal of barriers and natural channel or floodplain restoration will score higher in some evaluation criteria than proposals that focus on establishing passage around a barrier that are reliant on artificial passage structures such as fishways or fish ladders. Proposals are encouraged to maximize largescale ecosystem restoration and should do so by leveraging funding from other sources, with particular emphasis on BIL funding through other Federal agencies or may include multiple project sites throughout a watershed or other geographic area.

The North American DevelopmentBank (NADBank) may use a portion of its retained earnings or other available resources to provide technical assistance to project sponsors for the purpose of developing environmental infrastructure projects with potential for NADBank
certification and financing, as well as for strengthening their institutional and financial
capabilities. In addition, technical assistance may be used to fund activities that help advance the mandate of the Bank.

Many communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region lack the human and financial resources
necessary to develop, implement, operate and maintain needed infrastructure projects and,
more broadly, to manage their utilities in a sustainable manner. These limitations affect the
potential for the healthy development of such communities, as well as their ability to access
project funding from NADBank and other sources.

The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) was created to: (1) provide support for the
development of specific infrastructure projects or capital investment programs; (2) support
public and private entities to enhance their technical, financial, and institutional capabilities;
and (3) generate knowledge that advances the mandate of NADBank.

This document describes the scope, eligibility criteria and operating procedures for obtaining assistance through the TAP program.