National Nonprofit Organization Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Grant Program

The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting applications for cooperative agreements to fund recreational boating safety initiatives from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, with applications due July 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT. Applicants must be nongovernmental organizations with IRS tax-exempt status (excluding institutions of higher education) and must demonstrate national-in-scope capacity—either by providing recreational boating safety services across all nine Coast Guard regions, currently operating in all regions, or committing to partner nationwide.

The Coast Guard anticipates distributing approximately $6.59 million across 25 to 35 cooperative agreements, with individual award ceilings ranging from $50,000 to $600,000. Performance periods run October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 (one year), or may extend to three years depending on available funding. No cost share is required.

Fundable areas of interest span ten categories: cross-disciplinary partnerships with public health and trauma care organizations; standards development for recreational boats and equipment; life jacket wear rate studies using observers on high-use waterways; year-round safe boating marketing campaigns with required monthly performance reporting; national stakeholder collaboration workshops; officer education on boating incident investigations (minimum 40 hours, Coast Guard-approved curriculum); boating-under-the-influence train-the-trainer courses; a single national professional development symposium; livery risk assessment training; and vessel safety check demonstration videos for motorboats, sailboats, and paddlecraft.

Projects must align with one of three strategic initiatives: positively influencing recreational boater behavior, positively influencing manufacturers, or leveraging boating data. Evaluation (130 points total) weights project alignment, national scope demonstration, gap analysis, timeline feasibility, risk mitigation, performance measures, organizational capacity, marketing strategy, budget justification, and sustainability. Award notifications are expected by September 30, 2026. Post-award compliance includes quarterly performance reports, semi-annual SF-425 financial reports, and potential participation in program evaluation.

Assistance Listing: 97.135.