OIA Technical Assistance Program 2026

The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), operating under the Department of the Interior, is soliciting proposals for short-term projects addressing urgent economic, financial, government service, and capacity challenges in U.S. insular areas and freely associated states. Eligible applicants include non-federal local government entities, hospitals, health centers, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations located in American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Projects must target priority areas including audits and accountability, financial management, economic development, education and training, IT modernization, energy initiatives, natural resource management, youth and health programs, public safety, and disaster planning and recovery. Merit review will award up to 100 points across eight criteria: project narrative clarity and measurable outcomes (20 points), budget clarity and reasonableness (20 points), reporting compliance history (15 points), alignment with Administration priorities (15 points), audit timeliness or financial capacity (10 points), prior OIA grantee performance (10 points), stakeholder support (5 points), and SAM.gov exclusion status (5 points). The application deadline is June 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET, with submissions required through Grants.gov using SF-424 forms, project narratives not exceeding 10 pages, detailed budget narratives, project abstracts, and supporting documentation.

Total program funding of $22,500,000 is available with approximately 40 expected awards; applicants may request any amount, though larger applications face higher risk of non-funding due to limited resources, and no cost sharing is required. Projects will operate over a four-year performance period from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2030, with grant awards anticipated by September 30, 2026. All performance must occur within the eligible insular jurisdictions, and recipients must comply with 2 CFR 200 cost principles, maintain SAM.gov registration, submit semi-annual performance and financial reports, and ensure NEPA compliance throughout the project lifecycle.