F26AS00069 Coastal Program FY26

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting applications for cooperative agreements under the Coastal Program Fiscal Year 2026 to support habitat conservation and restoration in priority coastal ecosystems through partnerships with state and Tribal agencies, landowners, and conservation organizations. Projects must align with the Service’s mission and regional strategic habitat conservation plans, focusing on protecting and enhancing habitats for federal trust species including ESA-listed species, migratory birds, interjurisdictional fish, and marine mammals, as well as state-listed and at-risk species. Applicants are required to consult with a local Coastal Program office before submitting any application, and projects must be developed collaboratively with Federal staff to ensure alignment with biological science and long-term conservation goals. All proposals must demonstrate measurable outcomes in habitat connectivity, ecosystem resilience, and species conservation, with a mandatory cost-share requirement of six dollars in non-federal contributions for every federal dollar awarded. Funding is available through a total program allocation of six million dollars, with individual awards capped at five hundred thousand dollars, and project performance is expected to span from May 2026 through September 2030. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by September 30, 2026, and are subject to a merit-based evaluation process that prioritizes alignment with conservation objectives, community engagement, Tribal collaboration, and enhancement of coastal resilience. Evaluation does not use numerical weights or adjectival ratings, but rather considers technical merit and overall value with cost-effectiveness serving as a tie-breaker. Required documentation includes the SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, SF-429, and supporting materials such as biographical sketches and current and pending support forms. All non-individual applicants must maintain an active UEI in SAM.gov, and compliance with 2 CFR Part 200 is mandatory, including financial reporting, administrative requirements, and conflict of interest disclosure. Specific prohibitions include using land acquisition or compensatory mitigation credits as cost-share, and FFATA reporting is required for sub-awards over thirty thousand dollars. Federal staff play a substantive role in project oversight, and awards are administered as cooperative agreements with significant involvement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in implementation and monitoring. Projects must also adhere to ethical standards, disclose any organizational conflicts of interest, and comply with applicable environmental and regulatory requirements, with final acceptance determined at the project site based on achievement of mutually agreed-upon outcomes.