F26AS00051_FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program_Funding Opportunity Announcement
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- F26AS00051
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Applications due
- Award size
- $50,000 to $1,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
-
- 15.634 State Wildlife Grants
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Natural Resources
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- State Governments
- Points of contact
-
- Nicholas Popoff nicholas_popoff@fws.gov (413) 362-9067
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting applications for the FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program with an application deadline of September 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Only state, territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and four regional associations (NEAFWA, SEAFWA, MAFWA, and WAFWA) are eligible to apply; all other entities including academic institutions, non-profits, and local government units are ineligible.
The program distributes an estimated $7.612 million across approximately 16 awards, each ranging from $50,000 to $1,000,000 per project. Award tiers scale based on active participant count and number of partnering fish and wildlife agencies. Federal share cannot exceed 75 percent of total project costs for continental United States and Puerto Rico recipients, requiring a 25 percent non-federal cost share; cost-sharing requirements are waived for American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Anticipated project period runs September 26, 2026 through September 29, 2029.
Projects must implement conservation actions benefiting species of greatest conservation need and their habitats as identified in State and Territory Wildlife Action Plans. The program prioritizes proactive conservation approaches designed to avoid Endangered Species Act listing requirements. Merit review criteria (maximum 70 points) evaluate Wildlife Action Plan relevance, target species priority, objective clarity, procedures and methodology, data standardization, compliance requirements, anticipated outcomes, external communications, and budget completeness. Applications require SF-424 forms, 15-page project narratives, budget information, and letters of commitment for third-party contributions. CFDA 15.634 (State Wildlife Grants) applies.
Synopsis
The Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program provides Federal cost-sharing awards that help the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and their regional associations design and implement proactive conservation programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats. Proactive approaches to conservation help these recipients and their conservation partners avoid more prescriptive Federal regulatory requirements associated with species listing under the Endangered Species Act.The C-SWG Program prioritizes implementation of conservation actions described in the State and Territory Wildlife Action Plans (Plans). Projects must benefit one or more species of greatest conservation need or their habitats as identified in the Plans.This announcement provides complete information on preparing and submitting an application, including details on award tiers, partnership requirements, and the maximum Federal share of an award. The award tiers and related requirements are intended to encourage partnerships dedicated to cross-jurisdictional conservation efforts supporting landscape-scale conservation.
Eligibility
Please note that ONLY the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and the four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies (NEAFWA, SEAFWA, MAFWA, and WAFWA) are eligible to apply. All other entities, including but not limited to academic institutions, non-profit or for-profit organizations, private landowners or other individuals, or local units of government, are not eligible to apply.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 7.14.2026 Foa_Content_of_F26AS00051.pdf | ||
| PKG00293660.pdf |
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