Grant Announcement MA Clean Vessel Act Grant

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is soliciting proposals to construct, renovate, operate, and maintain pumpout and waste-disposal facilities for recreational boaters in Massachusetts coastal waters under the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program, with proposals due September 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Eligible applicants include state departments, municipalities, regional planning agencies, conservation districts, tribal governments, charitable conservation organizations, non-profits, and other legally recognized entities in good standing with the Commonwealth and federal government. This is a match-reimbursement grant with respondents able to request up to 75% of eligible project costs, requiring a 25% minimum match from non-federal sources such as in-kind contributions, volunteer hours, or cash.

MADMF expects to award up to $1.5 million in total grant funding. The contract term begins upon execution and ends on December 31, 2027, with an anticipated earliest start date of January 1, 2027. Eligible costs include construction, renovation, operation, and maintenance of pumpout equipment, holding tanks, piping, and associated infrastructure necessary to transport sewage to licensed treatment facilities. Equipment purchases must have a useful life of at least five years and a per-unit cost of $10,000 or more, with title residing with the grantee. Ineligible activities include law enforcement, upland restroom construction, on-site sewage treatment plants, and facilities in freshwater systems.

Applicants must request specific equipment types (pumpout boats, shoreside pumps, dump stations, or floating restrooms), provide detailed water-body information including slip and mooring counts and transient boater estimates, and submit a nautical chart with marked locations of proposed and existing facilities with latitude and longitude coordinates. A comprehensive waste-handling plan from boat to licensed sewage treatment facility is required.

Grantees must pay 100% of expenditures before submitting for reimbursement, with monthly requests permitted and a final deadline 60 days after contract end. All products and public distributions must acknowledge MADMF and federal Clean Vessel Act Program funding. An estimated award announcement is expected 45 days after the deadline. Cecil French at cecil.french@mass.gov or (978) 491-6215 is available for information sessions and clarifications.