DEP-BWR-NOI-FY27-604b Grant ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Resources, is requesting proposals for Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Program Grants to identify nonpoint source water quality issues, determine effective solutions, and provide preliminary designs for Best Management Practices, with applications due October 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Eligible entities include regional planning agencies, councils of government, counties, conservation districts, cities and towns, interstate organizations, federally recognized tribes, and organizations with statewide agricultural capacity-building experience. MassDEP anticipates approximately $1.8 million in federal Clean Water Act funds available for Award Years 2024 and 2025 for new projects, though projects can only be funded from a single federal funding source and may be partially funded. The program prioritizes projects within Massachusetts National Water Quality Initiative watersheds, regional or statewide Nonpoint Source Coordinator positions, and work within nitrogen-impacted coastal waters.

Proposals must not exceed 12 pages and include a concise problem statement, project goals and approach, scope of services, detailed project budget with itemized salary costs by title and range, and supporting materials including locus maps and letters of support from participating organizations. All projects must include mandatory tasks: a kickoff meeting with MassDEP, Watershed-Based Plan development or update, and quarterly reporting with a final comprehensive report in Word and PDF formats complying with ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements. Projects presumed to have a Notice to Proceed of January 1, 2027 carry standard durations of up to 24 months; Nonpoint Source Regional Coordinator projects may extend an additional 12 months. Data collection activities require a Quality Assurance Project Plan approved by EPA and MassDEP before collection begins; water sampling requires a preliminary sampling plan detailing locations, frequency, methodology, and analytical procedures. All surface water data must be submitted to EPA's Water Quality Exchange platform; all GIS data must be provided to MassDEP in ESRI file geodatabase or shapefile format.

Evaluation weighs alignment with program goals (20 points), watershed-based plan development (10 points), problem definition (10 points), approach (15 points), project benefit (20 points), community engagement (15 points), qualifications (5 points), and proposal quality (10 points). Questions are due August 26, 2026. MassDEP anticipates announcing selections in January 2027 with an estimated contract start of March 2027. All applicants must comply with the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act and agree to Commonwealth and federal Terms and Conditions.