Funding Opportunities

The Water Conservation Grant Fund (WCGF) exists to provide financial resources to eligible entities for the purpose of conserving Arizona's water supply.

A wide range of projects and programs may be eligible for WCGF funding. Some examples include:
- Water use education and conservation research
- Community incentives for rainwater harvesting, gray water systems, and turf removal
- Widespread installation of drought-resistant landscaping and turf removal incentives
- Infrastructure efficiency upgrades
- Projects that promote groundwater recharge and imported aquifer health
- Construction of groundwater storage facilities
- Community education initiatives about wise water use
- Programs or projects to reduce structural water overuse issues

The DWSRF program helps public and private water systems across Arizona meet the objectives of the SDWA by providing a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing. Under the DWSRF, WIFA provides various types of assistance, including loans, technical assistance, and forgivable principal. Our loan terms vary and may include an interest rate discount and repayment periods of up to 30 years*. Much like the CWSRF, WIFA tailors all loan terms to the borrower's situation and needs.

*repayment period cannot exceed the useful life of infrastructure financed. For example, if a project has a maximum useful life of 15 years, the loan term cannot exceed 15 years.

Purpose:
Eligible projects/programs will enhance connections to local cultural history, local parks, open space or natural areas through artistic community events, programming or art installations that help to build sustainable community connections, health and well-being. The Local Parks Grants Program will be managed and administered by Parks California https://parkscalifornia.org/

Description:
Both program operations and art installations in local parks are eligible. Project/Programs must be in a "local park". Local parks include land that is owned or managed by a local city, county, park or community service district, land trusts, regional park or open space district, non-profit organization or foundation, or any other entity other than federal and state agencies. For more information see https://artsincaliforniaparks.org/local-parks-grant-program/

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), through the Department of Energy (DOE), has made available $54 million in new federal funding for projects that will expand community e-mobility access and provide clean reliable energy. The funding will drive innovation in equitable clean transportation and is aligned with strategies detailed in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. This program will make strategic investments at the local level that address key barriers to expanding access to electrified mobility options for individuals without home charging; accelerate the transition to electrified fleets; and mature the implementation of managed charging systems to mitigate impacts and optimize usage of the grid.

The funding is administered by the Joint Office through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Topic areas in the Joint Office’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funding opportunity include:

Solving for No-Home Charging: Expanding Charging Access for Privately Owned E-Mobility
Expanding E-Mobility Solutions through Electrified Micro, Light and Medium-Duty Fleets
Managed Charging for Clean Reliable Energy.

This FOA aims to help meet the goal that 40% of the benefits of the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in clean energy and climate solutions are delivered to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), as defined by the Department pursuant to the Executive Order, and to drive creation of accessible, good-paying jobs with the free and fair chance for workers to join a union.

Read the Joint Office’s FY2024 Communities Taking Charge Accelerator. Applicants must submit a concept paper by May 20, 2024, and full applications are due July 16, 2024.

Summary
FSA is announcing the availability of cooperative agreement funding for up to $10 million to monitor, assess, and evaluate conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with the Conservation Reserve Program. Projects are expected to inform policy and/or improve delivery of the Conservation Reserve Program. For 2024, applications will be accepted from eligible entities for projects addressing at least one of the following priorities:

Ecosystem Benefits
Assess CRP’s impact on natural resources such as climate mitigation/adaptation, wildlife habitat, water quality/quantity, and soil health.

Bottom Up, Middle Out
Evaluate CRP’s role in strengthening farm operations’ viability and resilience. Develop program delivery strategies that improve the CRPs function to support economic growth and stability within rural communities.

Citizen Science
Identify ways for agricultural producers to monitor conditions on and share lessons learned from enrolled CRP acres.

Evaluating CRP in the Big Picture
Evaluating and developing strategies of how CRP fits into a larger framework of natural resources management and conservation.

Applications will be accepted from all non-Foreign, non-Federal entities (see Section C-Eligible Applicants). Projects may be between 1 and 5 years in duration. The minimum amount for an award is $500,000, while the maximum amount for an award is $5 million.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the MAE website (https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/economic-and-policy-anal…) to learn more about the MAE program and past projects.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates
Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 31, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NOFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NOFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NOFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

The agency anticipates making selections by July 12, 2024, and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050 to the benefit of all Americans. This FOA is funded by two Department of Energy (DOE) offices: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) Carbon Conversion Program. BETO’s primary focus is on developing technologies that convert domestic biomass and/or waste resources to affordable biofuels and bioproducts that significantly reduce carbon emissions on a life-cycle basis as compared to equivalent petroleum-based products. These bioenergy technologies can enable a transition to a clean energy economy, create high-quality jobs, support rural economies, and spur innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production. The activities funded by BETO through this funding opportunity will mobilize public clean energy investment by addressing research and development (R&D) challenges in the conversion of various seaweeds and blends of seaweeds (with wet waste feedstocks such as waste microalgae) to low-carbon fuels and chemicals. These activities can also help develop solutions for communities that are affected by harmful algal blooms to reduce the costs associated with managing these wastes. The priority of FECM’s Carbon Conversion Program is to develop multiple pathways by which captured and concentrated carbon dioxide (CO2) is converted into economically viable and environmentally sustainable products. The near-term objective of this program’s R&D is to accelerate deployment of carbon management technologies through the conversion of CO2 into value-added products. Under this FOA, applications are sought that use anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions in the cultivation process and then convert macro and/or micro algae into low carbon products. Conversion for agricultural products such as animal feed are of particular interest. Algae is a promising type of renewable biomass-based feedstock with the potential to contribute to BETO’s and FECM’s missions and help meet the aggressive clean energy goals being pursued by DOE. For purposes of this FOA, “algae” includes microalgae, cyanobacteria, and macroalgae (also referred to as seaweed). All types of algae may be of interest to this FOA, subject to the topic-specific requirements described in each Topic Area. • Topic Area 1: Conversion of Seaweeds to Low-Carbon Fuels and Bioproducts • Topic Area 2: Conversion of Algal Biomass for Low-Carbon Agricultural Bioproducts Questions regarding the FOA must be submitted to MacroFOA@ee.doe.gov. The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants. Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues. Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline. Please view the full FOA by visiting EERE-Exchange.energy.gov. The required Concept Paper due date for this FOA is 05/10/2024 at 5PM ET. The Full Application due date for this FOA is 6/27/2024 at 5PM ET.

Purpose:
The California Energy Commission’s Siting, Transmission, and Environmental Protection Division announces California Clean Energy Planning Program (CCEPP) and the availability of up to $1,550,000 in grant funds for this first-come, first-served grant solicitation.

Description:
This solicitation has two purposes: 1) make $1,050,000 available to California Native American tribes for clean energy future planning as well as to better enable their participation in statewide clean energy and energy infrastructure planning activities and 2) make $500,000 available to local government entities to develop new or updated land use planning documents that support and advance the development of clean energy in their jurisdiction.

Purpose:
To help create sustainable urban forests across the state, $30.8 million in funding will be available to support urban and community forestry projects in historically disinvested urban communities throughout California.

Description:
The Inflation Reduction Act supports urban and community forestry investments that foster:

1) Increased and equitable access to urban tree canopy and associated human health, environmental, and economic benefits in disadvantaged communities.

2) Broadened community engagement in local urban forest planning, tree planting, and management activities.

3) Improved community and urban forest resilience to climate change, extreme heat, forest pests and diseases, and storm events through best management and maintenance practices.

There are six grant options available: Urban Forest Expansion and Improvement, Urban Forest Management Activities, Urban Forestry Education and Workforce Development, Urban Forestry Regional or Statewide Impact, Urban Forest Equity Capacity Building, and Green Schoolyards.

Projects must directly serve priority populations within one or more defined disadvantaged and/or low-income community in an urban area. In California, CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is administering this federal grant funding.

Program Background, Objective, and Goals:
The Wildlife Program fulfills the Department of the Interior visions of improving the management of wildlife and their habitats, and upholding trust and related responsibilities. The Wildlife Program is responsible for administering program activities that support maintaining functioning wildlife habitats, developing, and implementing restoration projects, and the inventory and monitoring of priority habitats and species to track trends and use on public lands. BLM-managed lands are vital to thousands of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. To provide for the long-term conservation of wildlife and biodiversity on public lands, the Wildlife Program uses a science-based approach to manage public lands to identify projects that support meeting land health standards and desired resource objectives for priority species and habitats, as outlined in land use plans. The program is focused on addressing habitat connectivity issues and implementing projects that consider climate change impacts to short- and long term objectives.

The Wildlife Program uses a multi-scale approach that involves coordination with BLM offices and other programs; Federal, state, and tribal governments; and non-governmental partners to accomplish projects and coordinated management at appropriate scales. The BLM's primary partners in wildlife habitat conservation include the respective state fish and wildlife agencies, tribal governments, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wildlife Program also collaborates with other agencies and numerous conservation partners to leverage resources and maximize the benefits for wildlife habitat. The BLM uses the latest geospatial data technologies to share wildlife and wildlife data within BLM and with partners to work more efficiently. This program will fund projects under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act PL 117-58, Section 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration.

Program Background, Objective, and Goals:
One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on them. This program supports projects funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Section 40804 (b) Ecosystem Restoration. This program supports projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Sections 50221 Resilience, 50222 Ecosystems Restoration and 50303 DOI. BLM Arizona State Office (AZ) Invasive and Noxious Plant Management Programs work to prevent, detect, inventory, control, and monitor weed populations on public lands.