NAWCA U.S. Small Grants | F16AS00445

Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00445

The NAWCA U.S. Small Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00445) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.623 that helps fund on-the-ground wetlands conservation projects in the United States. It is designed as a competitive program, meaning proposals are reviewed and selected based on merit, and it emphasizes public-private partnerships rather than work carried out by a single entity in isolation. The program’s purpose is to advance the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act by supporting tangible habitat outcomes that benefit wetlands-associated migratory birds.

Projects supported through this program must focus on long-term protection, restoration, enhancement, and/or establishment of wetlands and associated upland habitats. In practical terms, that can include activities such as securing durable habitat protection (for example, through acquisition or easements where applicable), restoring degraded wetlands, improving habitat quality through enhancement work, or creating new wetland habitat where it makes ecological sense. A key requirement is that the outcomes are intended to endure over the long run and directly support migratory bird conservation tied to wetland ecosystems, not just short-term improvements.

A central feature of the U.S. Small Grants Program is the required 1:1 match. For every federal dollar requested, the project must provide an equivalent amount of matching funds or eligible non-federal contributions, reinforcing the program’s partnership and cost-sharing structure. This matching requirement signals that applicants need to come to the table with committed partner resources and a clear plan for how the match will be met and documented.

The program is not a research grant. Proposals that are primarily research-focused are ineligible for funding, so applications should be built around implementation and measurable habitat deliverables rather than studies, experiments, or data collection as the primary purpose. While monitoring or assessment may be part of a broader implementation effort, the core of the project needs to be direct conservation action that results in protected, restored, enhanced, or established habitat.

For this funding cycle, the award ceiling is $100,000 per grant, reflecting an increase approved by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council in June 2016 (previously $75,000). The opportunity anticipated making around 50 awards. The original posted closing date for applications was November 3, 2016, and the opportunity record was created on September 1, 2016. Eligible applicants were listed as unrestricted, indicating broad eligibility, though applicants still need to meet program rules and submit a competitive proposal aligned with NAWCA goals and requirements.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NAWCA U.S. Small Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.623.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-09-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-11-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for F16AS00445

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