The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals under the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grants program to accelerate the rate and scale of water quality improvements through the voluntary implementation of best management practices that cost-effectively reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to local rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/21/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
NFWF, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.
For 2024, this includes both INSR Partnership Grants supporting the coordinated and collaborative efforts of sustainable, regional-scale1 partnerships implementing proven water quality improvement practices more cost-effectively, as well as INSR Infrastructure Grants opportunity for projects working to implement critical natural and nature-based watershed restoration infrastructure at scale.
Including funds made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NFWF estimates awarding up to $25 million in grants through the INSR program in 2024, contingent on the availability of funding. Major funding for the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office, with other important contributions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Altria Group, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service.
Grant Categories
- INSR Partnership Grants
- NFWF is specifically soliciting proposals from existing partnerships, collaboratives, and networks (“partnerships”). Data from NFWF, EPA, and others demonstrate that these structures are a critical mechanism to achieve and sustain desired water quality improvement efforts through strategic leveraging of capacities, skills, and resources of diverse stakeholders. Such partnerships can take many forms and may include nonprofit organizations, public agencies, institutions, and businesses, among other entities, with a shared focus on water quality restoration and protection.
- INSR Infrastructure Grants
- Among the water quality improvement practices prioritized by EPA, CBP, and watershed jurisdictions through the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated WIPs, there are select natural and nature-based practices that provide long-term pollution control, improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat for at-risk species, and enhance climate resilience for human and wildlife communities. Through funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NFWF will competitively award funds for projects that specifically accelerate the scale of voluntary implementation for one or more of these watershed restoration infrastructure practices, including:
- Riparian forest buffers, including site preparation, planting, and maintenance, as well as associated livestock exclusion fencing;
- Non-tidal wetland restoration, creation, or enhancement;
- Floodplain restoration that will improve stream health through reconnection with floodplains and floodplain wetlands;
- Shoreline management; and
- Urban tree planting
- Among the water quality improvement practices prioritized by EPA, CBP, and watershed jurisdictions through the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated WIPs, there are select natural and nature-based practices that provide long-term pollution control, improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat for at-risk species, and enhance climate resilience for human and wildlife communities. Through funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NFWF will competitively award funds for projects that specifically accelerate the scale of voluntary implementation for one or more of these watershed restoration infrastructure practices, including:
Program Priorities
As the CBP partnership advances the critical phase of implementation efforts under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), INSR program partners are intentionally targeting funding towards the accelerated implementation of proven water quality improvement practices2 and approaches necessary to achieve remaining pollution reductions. The desired result of INSR funding is a measurable increase in the rate and/or scale of implementation for priority water quality improvement practices, as identified through the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs), in a defined regional project focus or service area.
For both INSR Partnership Grants and INSR Infrastructure Grants, and consistent with broader goals to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in Chesapeake Bay habitat restoration and conservation efforts, NFWF will prioritize proposals from applicants that have directly and meaningfully engaged local communities in the identification, prioritization, selection, and implementation of proposed actions. Examples of direct and meaningful engagement include:
- Projects are co-created with community members
- Empowering community members with knowledge or decision-making authority
- Ensuring that the project team includes members representing and/or a part of the community
- Specific, active engagement strategies such as workshops, classroom activities, field trips and volunteer opportunities
- Addressing a specific and localized harm such as pollution, flooding, fires, etc.
- Creating jobs in the target community or performing job training and certification
- Directly engaging in specific cultural activities with the community.
Funding Information
NFWF will award up to $30 million in grants through the INSR program in 2024, including up to $15 million for INSR Partnership Grants and up to $10 million for INSR Infrastructure Grants. Awards will range from $500,000 to $2 million each, for an estimated 20-40 individual grant awards. INSR Partnership Grants require non-federal matching contributions equal to the grant request. Non-federal match is encouraged but not required for INSR Infrastructure Grants. All 2024 INSR grants must be completed within three years of grant award. All proposed projects must begin on or after June 1, 2024, in order to facilitate necessary grant contracting and quality assurance activities. Generally speaking, match expended on or after January 1, 2024 and before the proposed project end date is eligible to count against programmatic match requirements.
Geographic Focus
All projects must occur wholly within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Projects must directly result in the implementation of water quality improvements across multiple sites within a defined regional project focus or service area, as determined and specified by program applicants. Priority consideration will be provided to projects located within priority subwatersheds where NFWF has identified significant needs for additional nutrient and sediment pollution reduction.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions.
Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds
- Applicants are encouraged to rent equipment where possible and cost-effective or use matching funds to make those purchases. NFWF acknowledges, however, that some projects may only be completed using NFWF funds to procure equipment. If this applies to your project, please contact the program staff listed in this RFP to discuss options.
- Federal funds and matching contributions may not be used to procure or obtain equipment, services, or systems (including entering into or renewing a contract) that uses telecommunications equipment or services produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) as a substantial or essential component, or as critical technology of any system. Refer to Public Law 115-232, section 889 for additional information.
- NFWF funds and matching contributions may not be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
- NFWF funds may not be used to support ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements, including permit conditions, mitigation and settlement agreements. However, grant funds may be used to support projects that enhance or improve upon existing baseline compliance efforts, for example in achieving municipal separate storm sewer system requirements through the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure.
For more information, visit NFWF.
