MB-FWS-Migratory Birds

North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) 2026 Canada Grants

FY2026

Announcement Title: F26AS00018 - NAWCA 2026 Canada Grants

Application Due Date: Electronically submitted applications must be received no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed notice of funding opportunity due date.

Program Authorizing Legislation: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 USC Ch. 64)

SOLICITATIONS: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program does not use social media or contact individuals by phone to solicit, review, or make awards. Government staff will NOT call or message you to request money in order to be eligible for an award. Please report any information and documentation that you have related to such incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities.

Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction Act, and burden estimate statements for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collection of information to administer financial assistance programs and activities were updated in July 2024. For further information, visit: https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100.

https://www.ic3.gov/ https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100 https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

IMPORTANT CHANGES FROM THE PRIOR CYCLE

APPLYING FOR A NAWCA CANADA GRANT

STEPS TO REGISTER IN SAM.GOV

STEPS TO REGISTER IN GRANTSOLUTIONS

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

STANDARD FORM-424S INSTRUCTIONS

GRANTSOLUTIONS PROJECT ABSTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

PROPOSAL

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS & FORMAT

PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE

PROJECT OVERVIEW

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLES

NARRATIVE BUDGET

WORK PLAN

FINAL TITLEHOLDER SUMMARY

ADDITIONAL WORK PLAN DETAILS

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #1 (20 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #2 (15 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #3 (15 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #4 (15 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #5 (15 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #6 (5 points total) TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #7 (15 points total)

MAPS

GIS SHAPEFILE

REVIEW OF APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

GRANTSOLUTIONS SUBMISSION

EMAIL ATTACHMENTS

APPENDICIES

APPENDIX A: SCORING CRITERIA

APPENDIX B. TAQ 1 LIST OF PRIORITY WATERFOWL

APPENDIX C. TAQ 2A LIST OF PRIORITY WETLAND-ASSOCIATED SPECIES

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INTRODUCTION

These instructions are applicable to NAWCA Canada Grant proposals submitted under this notice of funding opportunity: F26AS00018 - NAWCA 2026 Canada Grants

The NAWCA Canada Program consists of one submission cycle per year. Complete proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed notice of funding opportunity due date.

We recommend submitting proposals well before the deadline to avoid delays caused by technical issues or unforeseen circumstances. Proposals may be submitted at any time prior to the deadline.

Incomplete proposals, or proposals received after the deadline, will not be considered.

IMPORTANT CHANGES FROM THE PRIOR CYCLE

• The NAWCA Canada Program is implementing a new Merit Review process. For more information on the scoring criteria, see Appendix A.

• The NAWCA Canada Grant Administration Standards and Eligibility Criteria have been updated and can be downloaded here: https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants.

• A new proposal template and instructions have been developed to incorporate changes from the Merit Review process, updates to 2 CFR 200, and the NAWCA Canada Eligibility Criteria and Grant Administration Standards.

• Technical Assessment Questions are now included in the proposal template to collect information required for the Merit Review process.

• Where possible, the proposal was streamlined. Some sections have been eliminated or moved while other new fields have been added to collect information required by the FWS and / or the Merit Review Process.

• The items that used to be part of the Required Statements Memo such as the Narrative Budget, Indirect Statement, Pre-Award Cost Statement, Overlap and Duplication Statement are now integrated in the proposal template.

• The NAWCA Canada Grant Program has been modified to more closely align with the Act and to ensure consistency with regulatory requirements.

a. Activity definitions and examples have been updated. See the Eligibility Criteria for additional information.

b. Acquisition, previously called securement, must result in a real property interest obtained.

Activities such as Conservation Agreements or Leases that do not result in a real property interest are ineligible acquisition activities.

c. Evaluation, stewardship, reconnaissance and design, communication and coordination have been removed as eligible activities.

d. Restoration has been added as an eligible activity. Restoration refers to the on-the-ground rehabilitation of degraded wetland ecosystems and habitats associated with wetland ecosystems.

For additional guidance on restoration including examples of eligible activities, refer to the Eligibility Criteria.

e. Enhancement and restoration activities must be carried out on sites with underlying, long-term, legal protection mechanisms, but they are no longer limited to previously acquired NAWCA acres. For additional guidance, refer to the Eligibility Criteria.

f. Enhancement and restoration activities must improve habitat through on-the-ground modification.

As a result, nest box activities or activities that protect existing habitat are ineligible under enhancement and restoration.

https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants

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g. The definition of management has been updated to clarify that management consists of minimally required on-the-ground activities that must occur in wetland ecosystems and habitats associated with wetland ecosystems. Management is intended to be used during the initial grant period to get the property to an acceptable state so the recipient can then continue to ensure that the interest will be administered for the long-term conservation and management. The Eligibility Criteria for management activities has been updated. For example, annual property taxes and routine operational or maintenance activities are ineligible. For additional guidance on management including examples of eligible management activities, refer to the Eligibility Criteria.

h. The requirements for real property acquisition have been updated to include a notice of federal participation, bargain sale letter (if applicable) and a purchase agreement with fair market valuation disclosure. Additionally, appraisal valuation dates must be within twelve months of the date the price was set with a contractual commitment or the actual property transfer date. For additional guidance, refer to the Grant Administration Standards.

i. Clarification that pre-award requests must include requests for grant and match expenditures prior to the start date of the award. Pre-award costs include (1) grant costs incurred between the date the proposal was submitted and the issuance of the award and (2) match costs incurred no earlier than Jan 1 of the calendar year two years prior to the date the proposal was submitted.

• Proposals must distinguish between new acres and non-add acres (acres previously reported to NAWCA or acres where NAWCA grant or match has previously been used).

• Proposals must disclose the full budget (grant, match and non-match) necessary to complete the project. Proposals are an estimate; however, they should reflect the budget needed with a high degree of accuracy. The proposed NAWCA interest (% grant and match in total cost) must be achieved or exceeded.

• Per updates to 2 CFR 200.414, the de minimis rate for indirect costs changed from 10% to 15% of the Modified Total Direct Costs.

• Complete application packages must be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) by the application deadline. GIS files and photos must be emailed to the FWS by the deadline.

All other application components (including match letters) must be submitted through GrantSolutions by the deadline for the application to be considered.

• Proposals may not be edited once they are scored and ranked unless edits are requested by FWS.

• Costs requiring prior approval such as pre-award costs (grant and match) and program income must be requested in the proposal.

APPLYING FOR A NAWCA CANADA GRANT

This funding opportunity is advertised on Grants.gov. However, you must apply directly within GrantSolutions, https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/; do not apply through Grants.gov. To apply, you must first set up a GrantSolutions account, including obtaining the correct user roles within the system. At a minimum, you will need to assign the following two roles within GrantSolutions: “Grantee Principal Investigator” (PI/PD, the project officer or lead) and “Grantee Administrative Official / Authorized Representative” (ADO). The ADO is the individual that is responsible for accepting grant awards on behalf of their organization, submitting applications and amendments, and managing financial reporting.

STEPS TO REGISTER IN SAM.GOV

On April 4, 2022, the DUNS number was replaced by the Unique Entity ID (UEI). You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registration to apply through GrantSolutions, to receive an award, and to be able to receive funds. We strongly encourage applicants to initiate this https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/

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STEPS TO REGISTER IN GRANTSOLUTIONS

All applicants must be registered in GrantSolutions: https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/ . Visit the GrantSolutions Frequently Asked Questions page. Applicants must first request (Getting Started – Request A User Account) and properly set up their GrantSolutions account, including obtaining the correct user roles within the system. If you encounter issues registering or submitting an application in GrantSolutions, contact the GrantSolutions help desk.

Steps to Set Up Account within GrantSolutions:

1. To register for a user account, visit https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/.

2. In “Request a user account”, go to GrantSolutions Self Registration and click on Electronic User Request Form.

3. To complete your GrantSolutions account setup, someone in your organization needs to be assigned the role of “Administrative Official/Authorized Representative”.

4. Once your organization is set up in GrantSolutions, your organization can apply for directed grant announcements within GrantSolutions.

Steps to Apply for a Grant Announcement:

1. Log In to www.grantsolutions.com.

2. Locate the Funding Opportunity. Navigate to the "Funding Opportunities" menu, click

"Announcements," and search for the specific announcement.

3. Initiate a new Application. Click the "apply" link associated with the funding opportunity to open the application kit.

4. Complete the Application. Fill out all necessary forms, upload required documents, and ensure all required fields are completed in the application kit.

5. Submit your application. Review and submit the application. The system will provide an application number, and the status will update on the "Application Control Checklist".

Help Desk Support Please send all GrantSolutions related help desk questions/issues to help@grantsolutions.gov. If you do not receive a response or if the response did not resolve the issue, please ask that the ticket be escalated.

Very important: enter all requested information under GRANTEE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI/PD) and the GRANTEES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL / AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE (ADO). Do not forget the username and the correctly spelled email address. For new applications, submit the form without filling in the requested “grant number”.

Note to ALL Applicants: Grantsolutions.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov are free websites. Do not pay for your SAM.gov registration or renewal, and do not provide any information to any scammers who may contact you.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following components are required for an application to be considered complete:

https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/frequently-asked-questions/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/

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• Project Narrative and Budget Narrative (NAWCA Proposal)

• SF-424 Application

• SF-424 A (Non-Construction) Budget Information Table

• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

• Project Abstract

• Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

• Signed Match Letters

• A-133 Single Audit or Most Recent Audit / Financial Statement

• GIS Shapefile

• 2-5 Photos of Proposed Project Area

Incomplete applications will not be considered. All required documents (except GIS Shapefile and Photos) must be completed in or uploaded to GrantSolutions.

The screenshot below shows the location in GrantSolutions to upload application materials:

‘Other’ – Location to upload match letters, NICRA, audit reports, and other supporting documents.

‘Project Narrative’ – Full proposal in pdf form.

‘Project Abstract’ – Must be completed. See Project Abstract Instructions section to complete this summary.

‘SF-424’ – Required for all NAWCA non-federal and federal applicants. The Authorized Representative as registered in GrantSolutions must sign the SF424. The Authorized Representative is the person in applicant’s organization who is formally designated and authorized to act on behalf of the organization in all matters related to a grant, including submitting applications, amendments, and communicating with grant-awarding agencies.

‘SF-424A’ – Budget table is required for all projects. This table should be completed in GrantSolutions consistent with the Financial Table and Narrative Budget sections of your proposal. Grant funds should be included in the federal column and match funds should be reported in the non-federal column.

‘SF-LLL’ – Disclosure of lobbying activities. Required when the applicant uses non-federal funds to lobby in connection with the proposal AND the federal share of the proposal exceeds $100,000.

After your application is submitted through GrantSolutions, email the application confirmation number (Confirmation number will start with FWS-MB followed by year and six numbers), GIS Shapefiles, and photos (see Email Attachments section) to dbhc@fws.gov. Shapefiles and photos must also be received by the application deadline.

GrantSolutions does not support shapefile format so you will receive an error if you attempt to upload along with your application.

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STANDARD FORM-424s INSTRUCTIONS

All applicants are required to submit a completed Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 form along with their proposal application. SF-424 forms are to be completed in https://www.grantsolutions.gov/ when you apply.

The following instructions for completing the SF-424 to accompany a NAWCA proposal supersede those on the back of the SF-424.

CELL NUMBER and TITLE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Type of Submission Required Check “Application”

2. Type of Application Required Check “New”

3. Date Received Required Enter date completing SF-424

4. Applicant Identifier Leave blank

5. a. Employer Identification Leave blank

5. b. Federal Award Identifier Leave blank

6. Date Received by State Leave blank

7. State Application Identifier Leave blank

8. Applicant Information (a-f) Required Complete all required information in sections a-f. The address on the SF-424 (#8d) must match the address associated with the Unique Entity ID number (#8c).

9. Type of Applicant Required Complete for your organization

10. Name of Federal Agency Required Enter “DOI-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service”

11. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number and Title Required

Enter “15.623” and “North American Wetlands Conservation Fund”

12. Funding Opportunity Number/Title:

Required

Enter “F26AS00018” and “NAWCA 2026 Canada Grants”

13. Competition Identification Number/Title: Will automatically fill in from #12

14. Areas Affected by Project Leave blank unless GS allows you to enter provinces or cities.

15. Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project Required Enter title of proposal

16. Congressional Districts of Applicant/Project Required If the program/project is outside the US, enter 00.000.

17. Proposed Project Start and End Dates Required

Enter proposed project start and end dates. Start and end dates determine the reporting schedule. Contact the FWS for more information.

18. Estimated Funding Required Do not include non-match $. In “a”, include only NAWCA grant $ requested. In “b-e”, include only matching partner $ proposed. For “e-Other”, include private organizations, etc. Leave “f-Program Income” blank.

19. Is Application Subject to Review by State EO 12372 Process? Required Required to answer but only applicable to states

20. Is Applicant Delinquent on any Federal Debt? Required Required to answer

21. Authorized Representative Required SIGNATURE AND DATE REQUIRED by an individual who has the authority (role) to submit on behalf of the organization, typically the Authorized Representative of the applicant organization. FWS will not accept a typed signature.

https://www.grantsolutions.gov/

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GRANTSOLUTIONS PROJECT ABSTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

On January 1, 2022, the Department of the Interior (DOI) implemented a requirement for applicants to complete the project abstract in GrantSolutions. The project abstract is a concise summary of a grant project. The summary describes, using plain language, the mission and goals of the project, the population(s) it will serve, and what impact it may have on the community.

Information for the project abstract summary can be taken from the project narrative. Include/avoid the following:

• Do not use acronyms or Federal or agency-specific terminology;

• Include a description of the Award purpose;

• Include activities to be performed;

• Include deliverables and expected outcomes;

• Include intended beneficiary(ies); and

• Include subrecipient activities if known or specified at the time of award

The project abstract character limitation is 1 page or less (no more than ~4000 characters). Use of 11 pt.

font and Times New Roman is recommended.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

• To download the Proposal Template, visit:

https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants.

• Projects must comply with the NAWCA Canada Grant Administration Standards and NAWCA Canada Eligibility Criteria:

https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants

• Contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Program Office, the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, with any questions.

• Ensure your proposal is accurate. All activities and proposed costs, especially those requiring prior approval, must be included in the proposal. Activities and costs omitted from the proposal may be deemed ineligible.

• If the proposal is approved, all information and materials submitted with it become part of the official grant agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the applicant. Submitted information will be shared with merit reviewers, the NAWCA Council, and the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. Some information will also be available in public files, including the project database on the NAWCA website.

• Follow all instructions and use the template. Proposals that are incomplete or that do not comply with requirements, page limits, and formats will not be considered.

• Carefully review the scoring criteria in Appendix A and consider each criterion as you develop the proposal sections.

• Proposals must be submitted in English, U.S. dollars, and acres.

• Keep your registrations in GrantSolutions.gov and SAM.gov up to date; if your proposal is selected, both registrations must remain active.

• Ensure your proposal contains sufficient detail to allow for an accurate eligibility review. FWS evaluates each proposal, its component, and the applicant for eligibility.

• The rules, regulations and policies governing financial assistance under a NAWCA grant can be complex and recent changes to the application format and process may add additional challenges. We strongly recommend you contact FWS with any questions, particularly those related to the application https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-canada-grants https://www.fws.gov/program/north-american-wetlands-conservation

9 | P a g e process or eligible activities.

• Ensure that the geographic and financial scale of the project supports effective and successful implementation and long-term management. Organizations may submit more than one application, however, activities within a single application should share mutually beneficial conservation objectives.

• Confirm that your organization has adequate staffing to implement the project and meet all reporting requirements in a timely manner.

• We highly recommended logging into GrantSolutions, or creating your GrantSolutions profile, months in advance of the application deadline to confirm that your organization has access and that user roles are correct. If technical difficulties arise, contact FWS or the GrantSolutions Help Desk for assistance.

• Ensure all activities and objectives at the tract level have a NAWCA Interest (use of grant and / or match). Non-matching funds may only be utilized when appropriately utilized with grant and / or match to achieve specific tract level objectives. Every discrete tract-level activity must be funded in part with grant or match funds. Activities completed solely with non-match are ineligible and may not be included in NAWCA proposals.

• Proposal budgets must accurately and realistically estimate the costs necessary to accomplish the proposed scope of work. Proposed grant and match budgets will be evaluated for reasonableness and feasibility. Proposals that cannot realistically be achieved with the requested budget may be deemed ineligible.

• Ensure data, activities, acres and dollars, are consistent across all sections of the proposal.

• We strongly recommend coordinating with your local Migratory Bird Joint Venture (Joint Venture).

Joint Ventures across Canada may assist with partnership opportunities:

https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.

Joint Ventures can also provide bird-number information and guidance for responding to technical assistance questions.

• Maintenance of a physical structure funded with grant or match funds in a prior NAWCA project is ineligible. Recipients and partners are responsible for repairing or replacing structures, regardless of premature failure or deterioration sooner than expected. For example, if a levee constructed under a NAWCA grant 15 years ago had a useful life of 20 years, the cost of repairing or replacing it is ineligible.

• Duplicative work is ineligible. If you propose an activity on a tract that is or was part of a NAWCA project, regardless of the recipient, you must demonstrate that the activity is not duplicative by documenting that the previously funded work has exceeded its useful life and committed duration.

• Restoration and enhancement are considered distinct activities under NAWCA. Acres for each must be described separately. If a tract will be both restored and enhanced, the number of acres to be enhanced (that are also restored) should be shown in parenthesis as non-add acres.

• Restoration and enhancement may only occur on tracts protected by a long-term mechanism, and the proposal must clearly state the duration of both the mechanism and the restoration/enhancement activities. The mechanism must remain in effect for at least as long as the restoration/enhancement duration.

• Management activities are allowable only during the initial period of performance, and only to bring the property to a condition that enables the recipient to ensure long-term conservation and management of the wetland ecosystem and the fish and wildlife dependent thereon. Management activities must occur during the same period of performance as the associated NAWCA acquisition, restoration or enhancement activity they support.

• Recipients have several perpetual reporting responsibilities for real property acquisitions; see the NAWCA Canada Grant Administration Standards and Eligibility Criteria.

• The use of false data to leverage grant funds is a direct violation of the terms and conditions of the award and may require repayment of any associated Federal assistance.

https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures

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PROPOSAL

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS & FORMAT

All proposals must adhere to the following requirements:

Proposals must be submitted as a PDF.

IMPORTANT: Do not send locked or encrypted PDFs!

Font size: 11 point Font type: Times New Roman.

All margins must be 1 inch.

All proposed contributions and expenditures must be in U.S. dollars.

Applicants may not submit a separate cover sheet / transmittal letter with the proposal.

Some sections have page limitations. Failure to provide all required information or to adhere to formatting requirements or page limits will affect the eligibility of your proposal.

PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE

The Project Officer’s page must be the first page of the proposal. The Project Officer’s Page is required to have a 1-inch margin with Times New Roman size 11 font.

Proposal Title:

Enter a short, descriptive, and unique title. Do not include private landowner names.

Submission Date:

State the date that the proposal is being submitted. If this is a revised submission, please also include the version number or revision date.

Applicant Information:

Organization:

Full legal name of the Applicant Organization.

Project Officer Name:

The Project Officer MUST be the primary point of contact for the project and must be affiliated with/employed by the applicant’s organization. List the person who will be managing the project activities, filing reports, and communicating with FWS. This must be the same person listed as the Principal Investigator (PI/PD) in GrantSolutions.

Project Officer’s Work Address:

Provide the address of the Project Officer. No P.O. Box Addresses. This should not be a personal address.

Telephone number:

List the numbers at which the Project Officer can be reached, including work and cell numbers.

Email address:

Provide the email address for the Project Officer.

Grantee Administrative Official / Authorized Representative:

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Please provide the name of the individual that is listed in GrantSolutions as the Grantee Administrative Official / Authorized Representative (ADO). The ADO is the person who is formally designated and authorized to act on behalf of the organization in all matters related to a grant, including submitting applications, amendments, and communicating with grant-awarding agencies. The person assigned to this role must sign the SF424 application submitted through GrantSolutions.

Additional Contacts:

We require a single Project Officer, but please list other contact(s) who may communicate with us pre- or post- award about the project if the project officer is unavailable. The Project Officer must be fully engaged in the proposal and project implementation process. Provide name(s), email address(s), and phone number(s).

Organization and Key Personnel Qualifications:

Briefly describe qualifications and experience of the organization and the key personnel (1-2 sentences per individual) who will be providing project implementation assistance (e.g., financial officer, project officer, key field staff, etc.):

Have you confirmed that all partners, key personnel, and contractors are eligible to participate in Federal grants? Yes/No Recipient organizations must confirm that parties are eligible to participate in federal grants by checking the Federal Excluded Parties List (https://sam.gov/content/exclusions) and maintaining documentation of the results. If an ineligible party participates in a federally funded project, all or a portion of the federal funding may be terminated.

Is Other U.S. Federal match or non-match involved in the proposal? Yes/No If yes, FWS will need to ensure the other U.S. Federal program approves of NAWCA claiming an interest in the total achievements. Please provide the contact information for the U.S. Federal program in order to confirm that the two Federal programs are compatible to pool costs and achievements.

Will any portion of any tract or activities associated with any tract be used to satisfy any mitigation requirements? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Audit Requirements:

If the U.S. based applicant organization expended more than $1,000,000 of federal funds during the last calendar year, please include a copy of your most recent of Single Audit Data Collection Form (SF-FAC) that was submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. If your organization is not based in the U.S. or did not expend more than $1,000,000 of federal funds last year, please certify that the Single Audit (formerly A-133) was not required. A response is required. Do not remove above statement. Please provide a response.

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement:

Applicants must provide a statement that addresses whether there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects in terms of activities, locations, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If any overlap exists, applicants must provide a description of the overlap in their application. Applicants must also state if the proposal submitted for consideration under the program is/is not in any way duplicative of any proposal that was/will be submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal). If such a circumstance exists, applicants must detail when the other duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be duplicative of the funding requested from FWS, applicants must notify the https://sam.gov/content/exclusions

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FWS point of contact for this funding opportunity immediately. Do not remove above statement. Please provide a response for both overlap and duplication.

Pre-award Cost Statement:

Please indicate whether pre-award costs (grant or match) are requested. Pre-award grant costs may be incurred after a Proposal is received by FWS and before a Grant Agreement is issued. Pre-award match costs may be incurred up to the beginning of the calendar year two years before the Proposal was submitted to FWS. Pre-award costs must be incurred directly in anticipation of the federal award and must be necessary and reasonable for the current project’s objectives. If approved, corresponding terms and conditions will be added to the Notice of Award. Pre-award costs are incurred at the applicant’s risk.

To qualify for pre-award cost reimbursement, applicants must provide a detailed description of the costs to be incurred pre-award along with an explanation that clearly demonstrates that the pre-award activities are necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the overall program objectives. Costs must be eligible and have otherwise been approved had they occurred within the project period. FWS will not approve pre-award costs for work performed that did not have written approval to incur those costs. Do not remove above statement. Please provide a response.

Applicant Indirect Cost Rate Statement:

All organizations must include the applicable statement from the list below and any related documentation in their application. Please note, an organization with a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may not elect to charge the 15% de minimis rate of Modified Total Direct Costs during the period covered by their current negotiated rate. Select the most appropriate response below and delete the rest.

Governmental Entities Receiving > $35M U.S. state or local government entities receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding must include the following statement in their application and attach a copy of their most recently negotiated rate agreement:

• We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Our current indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. Attached is a copy of our most recently negotiated rate agreement/certification.

Governmental Entities Receiving < $35M U.S. state or local government entities receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding must include the applicable statement from this list and any related documentation in their application:

• We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding. We prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and documentation per 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII. Our current indirect cost rate is [insert rate], which is charged against [insert a complete description of the direct cost base used to distribute indirect costs to the award].

• We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding. We have not prepared an indirect cost rate proposal and documentation per 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII and elect to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.1. We understand we must use this methodology consistently for all Federal awards until we choose to establish a rate per 2 CFR 200. We understand we must notify FWS in writing if we establish a rate that changes the methodology used to charge indirect costs during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by FWS.

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All Other Organizations All other organizations must include the applicable statement from this list and any related documentation in their application. Please note, an organization with a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may not elect to charge the 15% de minimis rate of Modified Total Direct Costs during the period covered by their current negotiated rate.

• We are an organization with a current negotiated indirect cost rate. In the event we receive an award, we will charge indirect costs per our current negotiated rate agreement. Attached is a copy of our current rate agreement.

• We are an organization with a negotiated indirect cost rate that has expired. Attached is copy of our most recently negotiated rate agreement. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date. We understand we must provide FWS a copy of our approved rate agreement before charging indirect costs to the Federal award.

• We are an organization that has never negotiated an indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency.

Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate], which is charged against [insert a complete description of the direct cost base used to distribute indirect costs to the award]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date. We understand we must provide FWS a copy of our approved rate agreement before charging indirect costs to the Federal award.

• We are an organization that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate. In the event an award is made, we elect to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.1. We understand we must use this methodology consistently for all Federal awards until such time as we negotiate a different rate with our cognizant agency. We understand that we must notify FWS in writing if during the award period we establish a rate that changes the methodology used to charge indirect costs to the award. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by FWS.

• We are an organization submitting a [insert either “Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program” or “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”] project proposal, which has an indirect cost rate cap of [insert rate; CRU is currently 15%; CESU is currently 17.5%]. In the event we receive an award, we understand that if we have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate we must charge the program’s capped indirect cost rate to the same base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement, per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have current negotiated (including provisional) rate, we understand we must charge the capped indirect cost rate against Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR 200.1.

• We are an organization that will charge all costs directly.

Trafficking Statement:

2 CFR §175.15 applies to awards to private entities as defined in 2 CFR §175.25(d), and to awards to States, local governments, Indian tribes, or foreign public entities, if the recipient could provide funding under the award to a private entity subrecipient. Recipients receiving more than $500,000 for activities outside the U.S. must comply with the plan and certification requirements in 2 CFR 175.105(b) before receiving an award and submit an annual certification each year the award is in effect. Do not remove above statement. Please include the appropriate statement below in your response.

• [Organization] complies with the statutory requirement under 2 CFR175.105(b).

• [Organization] does not comply with the statutory requirement under 2 CFR175.105(b).

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A%2Fchapter-I%2Fpart-175&data=05%7C02%7Ccallie_mcmunigal%40fws.gov%7Ccba02b62c4414d70f67608dd148d5b85%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C638689319553689863%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NBJw0g9ajNh2vI7QQgKykSPm1x1CcHV%2F%2B2hH0y839%2BM%3D&reserved=0

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Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission. Do not remove above statement. Please include the appropriate response.

To ensure that the proposal complies with available guidelines and that partners are aware of their responsibilities, the Project Officer certifies to the following statement:

I have read the 2026 NAWCA Canada Grant proposal instructions, eligibility information, and applicable Canada grant administration standards and policies and informed partners or partners have read the material themselves. To the best of my knowledge, this proposal is eligible and complies with all NAWCA, North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council), and Federal grant guidelines and the information submitted herein is true and correct. The work in this proposal consists of allowable and eligible work and costs associated with long-term wetlands and migratory bird habitat conservation. All proposed activities have been adequately described in the proposal. If habitat or migratory bird benefits described in the proposal are found to be missing, grossly exaggerated and/or intentionally misleading, the proposal may be declared ineligible, and any resulting awards may be fully or partially terminated.

Sign & date

Do you have any comments about, or suggestions for, the NAWCA program?

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112

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NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Executive Summary is the only narrative material provided to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council and Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, so it must be descriptive and succinct. Consider developing the Summary after you have written the rest of the proposal to help ensure that information in the Summary is consistent with the proposal. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the blank proposal outline exactly, including margins, spacing, font size, etc.

Executive Summary Specific Requirements:

• The Executive Summary is required to have a 1-inch margin with Times New Roman size 11 font.

• The Executive Summary, which includes tabular and narrative information, may be a maximum of two pages.

• The Executive Summary will be used as a stand-alone document and will be subject to editing by

FWS.

• Start the next section, Project Overview, on a new page.

• Do not number the Executive Summary pages. Start page numbering with Project Overview as page 1 and sequentially number all remaining pages.

• The information in the summary table must exactly match the information provided elsewhere in the proposal.

• Center “NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY” in all capital letters at the top of the page and center the project title beneath it.

• All other information is left justified, without indentation, except for financial totals on the right side of the page, which are right justified.

PROVINCE(S):

List the province(s) where the project activities will occur.

JOINT VENTURE(S):

List the Migratory Bird Joint Venture area(s) by visiting the USFWS JV Directory website or download the JV GIS shapefile.

BIRD CONSERVATION REGION(S):

Identify the Bird Conservation Region BCR(s). Visit https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ or download the BCR GIS shapefile.

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION:

Provide the name of the applicant’s organization.

Complete the partners and match funding table below. Add rows as necessary to include all partners providing match. All partners / contributions listed in TAQ7 Table A must be included. All partner contributions must meet federal match requirements. Signed match letters must be provided by each partner providing a match contribution. Letters must include the partner providing funding, amount of funding, project it is funding, and the contribution date. Match contributions must occur during the period of performance or approved pre-award periods to be eligible.

PARTNERS FUNDING ($U.S.)2

U.S. Federal (NAWCA)1 $ Match Funding 1 U.S. [Organization] $ Canadian [Organization] $ https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/b97c29a9d8bd4f59931a50194eff83cc_0/explore?location=2.526087%2C0.000000%2C0.83 https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/nabci-bird-conservation-regions

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Match Funding Sub-Total $ Total NAWCA & Match Funding $ 1 Act funds will only be used to pay for activities eligible under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E and the Canada Grant Administration Standards.

2Any currency exchange gains will be directed back into NAWCA projects within the project area.

NON-MATCH CONTRIBUTIONS $Total Non-match Recipient/Partner: $ Recipient/Partner: $ Recipient/Partner: $

If non-match will be utilized with grant and / or match to help accomplish the goals and objectives of the proposal, list all non-matching partners and contributions in U.S. dollars. All non-matching partners listed in TAQ7 Table A must be included. Add additional rows as necessary. The non-match estimate must be made with a high degree of accuracy to ensure that the total funding described in the proposal, grant, match and non-match, is sufficient to accomplish all grant objectives. All individual tract-level activities must have a NAWCA interest. Non-match funds are allowable only when they are appropriately utilized with grant or match funds to accomplish grant objectives. Activities funded solely with non-match are ineligible and may not be included in the proposal. The proposed NAWCA interest must be achieved or exceeded.

WORK PLAN AND BUDGET SUMMARY:

Activities Wetland Acres

Upland Acres Total Acres

Grant & Match Cost

($U.S.)

Non- Match Cost

($U.S.)

Acquisition of Real Property Interests [activity](i.e. Fee Simple Acquisition)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

[activity](i.e.

Conservation Easement Perpetual )

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

[activity](i.e.

Conservation Easement 25 Years )

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

Sub-total $ $

Restoration Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

Enhancement Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

Management Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ N/A

Other Eligible Costs Endowment $ N/A Grant Administration $ N/A Closeout Costs $ N/A Indirect Costs Based on de minimis $ N/A

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NICRA %

TOTAL Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add)

Add (Non- Add) $ $

Complete the Work Plan and Budget Summary Table above using the prescribed format shown in the example. The Total Cost column should reflect the combined grant and match funds needed for each activity. Provide all the requested information for each category and be specific about the type and duration of each acquisition activity included in this proposal. Ensure that activities listed are consistent with those described throughout the proposal. Add additional rows under Acquisition if needed to distinguish between acquisitions of different tenures. Where applicable, include non-add acres in parentheses. Do not include categories shown in the example if no information exists for that category;

for example, if no restoration work is proposed, do not include a “Restoration” line in the table.

Proposed grant objectives must be based on the number of acres that can be achieved with the proposed budget, eligible grant and match funds, along with appropriately utilized non-match, during the period of performance. Proposal budgets must accurately and realistically estimate the costs required to complete the proposed scope of work. Grant and match budgets will be evaluated to ensure that costs are reasonable and achievable for the proposed objectives. Proposals that cannot realistically be complete with the requested budget may be deemed ineligible.

PROPOSAL PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION:

Summarize the proposed goals and objectives. Ideas to include but are not limited to:

• What activities are being proposed?

• Where will the activity (ies) be located (e.g., on public land, private land, near a conservation area)?

• What species will be benefited?

• Is a Joint Venture involved and/or benefiting?

PUBLIC BENEFITS/PUBLIC ACCESS:

Summarize the benefits of the proposal for U.S. citizens (e.g., improved quality of recreation / hunting in U.S., access for hiking, hunting, or birding, educational opportunities, improvements to water quality, etc.); describe whether any of the grant/match tracts will allow public access, and if so, what type of access.

THREATS AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

Summarize any threats to habitats in the proposal area or other circumstances that make funding during this proposal cycle particularly important.

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

The project overview section consisting of project description, expected benefits and timeline / milestones may not exceed 3 pages.

Utilize format in the application template. Center “NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL” in all capital letters at the top of the page and center the project title and funding year beneath it. Do not use private landowner names in title. Below that, center

“PROJECT OVERVIEW”.

Project Description:

Provide a brief accomplishment summary describing the proposed work objectives and methods as well as the proposed project delivery area. This brief description should serve as a stand-alone project summary.

Expected Benefits:

Provide a brief summary of the expected benefits and their duration. Include benefits to the production, molting, staging and wintering of waterfowl and other wetland-associated migratory birds; other wetland-associated birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, plants, etc; species at risk; wetlands and associated upland habitats; the conservation of biodiversity; water quality (if it relates directly to the project); and other social or ecological aspects.

Timeline / Milestones:

Please disclose how long the delivery of the proposed activities is expected to take your organization.

Describe significant milestones…