Aid To Tribal Governments
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.020
- Agency
-
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 100 $121,180,991 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Block Grant
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-2100-0-1-452
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education funds tribal government operations, tribal enrollment maintenance, tribal election administration, and tribal policy and regulatory development under Assistance Listing 15.020, with the most recent grant awards made on November 15, 2025.
The program shows strong recent activity. Award volume has accelerated significantly, rising from one award in 2023 to ten in 2024 and twelve through November 2025. One hundred awards have been made since the program's inception in 1997. Applications are processed within 90 days, and awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance with written notice of intent to renew submitted at least 90 days before expiration. Award values depend on individual tribal priorities established through the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Priority Allocation budget formulation process; applicants meeting regulatory requirements under 25 CFR Part 900 and whose tribes have prioritized the program are automatically selected.
The assistance-type mix is predominantly Block Grants (45 percent of awards) and Project Grants (39 percent), with a smaller share of Cooperative Agreements (15 percent) and one Formula Grant (1 percent). Recent awards range from $54 thousand to $770 thousand at the federal level, though historical awards include larger block grants exceeding $17 million.
Funding is heavily concentrated within regional Bureau of Indian Affairs offices. The Eastern Region leads by federal dollars obligated at $80.4 million across fifteen awards, followed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education central office at $30.4 million across fifty-three awards, and the Central Office at $8.6 million across twenty-eight awards. Combined federal dollars obligated total $121.2 million, with a combined total obligation (including non-federal share) of $122.8 million, indicating minimal cost-share requirements.
Recent awards reflect two parallel tracks: sustained critical rural radio operations supporting the Emergency Alert System (multiple Project Grants in November 2025 ranging from $214 thousand to $385 thousand), and tribal governance and self-governance support (Block Grants and Cooperative Agreements for tribal government administration, technical assistance training, and self-governance participation). A Block Grant to a tribal work group advocating for 477 tribes was awarded at $150 thousand in August 2024.
No open grant opportunities are currently posted in the source material. Applicants must submit completed applications to their local Bureau of Indian Affairs agency or regional office with information specified in 25 CFR Part 900, Subpart C.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide funds to Indian tribal governments to support general tribal government operations, to maintain up-to-date tribal enrollment, to conduct tribal elections, and to develop appropriate tribal policies, legislation, and regulations.
- Description
To fund projects that provide the tribes the resources to support the general tribal government operations, to maintain up-to-date tribal enrollment, to conduct tribal elections, and to develop appropriate tribal policies, legislation, and regulations.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and members of American Indian Tribes.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and members of American Indian Tribes.
- Uses of assistance
Funds may be used in a variety of ways to strengthen the capabilities of Indian tribes in self-government, community planning, and maintenance of membership records.
- Use restrictions
Funds may be used in a variety of ways to strengthen the capabilities of Indian tribes in self-government, community planning, and maintenance of membership records.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available until expended by the contractor/grantee. Payments may be made in advance or by way of reimbursement. The timing of the payments will be negotiated with the Indian tribe.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
An informal conference with a Bureau of Indian Affairs agency representative is recommended.
- Application procedure
Initial applications must contain the information specified in 25 CFR Part 900, Subpart C, "Contract Proposal Contents." Completed applications should be submitted to the local Bureau of Indian Affairs agency or regional office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
All applicants meeting the requirements of 25 CFR Part 900 will be selected if the program has been prioritized by the individual Indian tribe through tribal participation in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Priority Allocation budget formulation process.
- Award procedure
The dollar value of the award depends upon the amount that has been prioritized by the individual Indian tribe through participation in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Priority Allocation budget formulation process.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Applications will be processed within 90 days.
- Renewals
Awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance by the contractor/grantee. A notice of intent to renew should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the current award. The amount of the award may be adjusted as a result of individual tribal priorities established in the budget formulation process.
- Appeals
An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official, or may appeal the denial of the application to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, or may bring suit in U.S. District Court. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR Part 900.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 100 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $20,394,805 | 17% |
| 2 | Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe | $17,021,604 | 14% |
| 3 | Seneca Nation Of Indians | $10,679,006 | 9% |
| 4 | Monacan Indian Nation | $7,825,733 | 6% |
| 5 | Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians | $7,447,399 | 6% |
| 6 | Nansemond Indian Nation | $7,366,760 | 6% |
| 7 | Chickahominy Indian Tribe | $6,285,900 | 5% |
| 8 | Chickahominy Indian Tribe - Eastern Division | $5,063,472 | 4% |
| 9 | Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe | $4,851,847 | 4% |
| 10 | Seminole Tribe Of Florida, Inc. | $4,555,417 | 4% |
10 of 70 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $3,261,412 |
| FY2025 | $12,757,198 |
| FY2024 | $8,391,177 |
| FY2023 | $16,184,408 |
| FY2022 | $12,303,955 |
| FY2021 | $33,893,283 |
| FY2020 | $18,754,112 |
| FY2019 | $4,079,655 |
| FY2018 | $1,806,927 |
| FY2017 | $3,218,277 |
| FY2016 | $3,075,498 |
| FY2015 | $10,496,259 |
| FY2014 | $14,253,613 |
| FY2013 | $12,234,225 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.020?
Assistance Listing 15.020 is Aid To Tribal Governments, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Aid To Tribal Governments?
Its CFDA number is 15.020: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.020 awarded?
100 grant awards under 15.020 have obligated $121,180,991 in federal funds to 70 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.020?
The recipients obligated the most under Aid To Tribal Governments are Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation ($20,394,805), Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe ($17,021,604) and Seneca Nation Of Indians ($10,679,006).
How much did 15.020 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.020 obligated $12,757,198 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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