2027 Virginia Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source (NPS) Implementation Program Request for Applications (RFA)

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is requesting applications for subrecipient grants under the 2027 Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Implementation Program, with applications due August 31, 2026 and a mandatory application development webinar on June 25, 2026. This is a grant opportunity for public bodies and nonprofit environmental organizations—not a competitive procurement for private-sector goods or services—and applications must be submitted directly to DEQ at NPSGrants@deq.virginia.gov, not through eVA.

Eligible applicants include local governments, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Virginia institutions of higher education, planning district commissions, nonprofit organizations, Tribes of Virginia, and state agencies. Projects must implement best management practices, education and outreach, or water quality monitoring activities within EPA-accepted Implementation Plans, Alternative Restoration Plans, or Watershed-Based Plans located in designated eligible watershed areas identified in RFA Table 1 and the eligibility map. Applicants may only pursue projects in watershed areas with EPA-accepted cleanup plans; plans under current EPA review must be accepted by December 1, 2026 to qualify for 2027 funding eligibility. Subrecipients holding current awards are prohibited from applying to the same watershed area unless their existing subaward ends by September 30, 2027.

DEQ anticipates approximately $1.5 million in available Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant funding, with an additional up to $2 million designated for septic repair, replacement, and connections. Individual award amounts range from $75,000 to $300,000. Non-SWCD applicants must provide a minimum 30 percent match of total CWA Section 319(h) funds requested; SWCDs are not required to provide match funding but must ensure applicable BMP cost-share requirements are met. Technical Assistance funds are capped at 35 percent of the total agreement, with possible exceptions allowing up to 50 percent. Projects are anticipated to start October 1, 2027, with a maximum project period of 36 months and a latest project end date of September 30, 2030. Reimbursement is provided quarterly within 30 calendar days of receiving proper invoices and documentation. DEQ will notify applicants of selection status in January 2027 and post the Notice of Intent to Award in February 2027.