Request for Proposals (RFP)
SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Department of the Interior (Secretary), through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Trust Services, Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience (TCR) solicits funding proposals from Federally recognized Tribes and authorized Tribal organizations (including Tribal consortia) to support Tribal climate resilience. This program will provide $120 million in funding in FY24 to support Tribal climate resiliency. Since 2020, TCR has funded 568 Tribal projects totaling $194.3M – peaking in FY23 at $120.8M (150 awards). FY24 marks the final year of increased available funding made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Evaluations of project proposals will be based on the ranking criteria specified below.
The funding will support Tribes and authorized Tribal organizations as they prepare for and address climate change impacts on Tribal Treaty and Trust resources, economies, regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty, conservation practices, infrastructure, and human health and safety. Funding will be prioritized for projects that address imminent climate-related threats to human health and safety (including relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place efforts) and Tribal capacity to address such threats. Funds may also support projects addressing (but not limited to) environmental justice and equity, sustainability, sovereignty (e.g., energy, food), infrastructure, vulnerable economies, natural and cultural resources, agriculture, conservation, habitat restoration or improvements. These awards are critical to transforming America for the better, creating good-paying jobs, building and strengthening economies and infrastructure, and ensuring safety and security for local communities and Tribes.