Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.622
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 849 $182,042,454 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG)
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-8151-0-7-303
- 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 Fish and Wildlife Service funds construction, renovation, and maintenance of docking, mooring, and boating facilities for transient recreational vessels 26 feet or greater in length through the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program, CFDA 15.622, with the most recent grant opportunity due October 27, 2025.
The program remains active with steady recent award volume—six awards disbursed in 2026 year-to-date (through January 7, 2026), following annual rates of 25–32 awards per year over the past five years. Recent awards span concrete infrastructure improvements: renovation of existing transient docks at multiple marinas, construction of new slip systems with utilities and gangways, replacement of aging fuel systems, installation of mooring buoys, and design and permitting work for future facilities. Examples include a $3.19 million dock renovation at an unnamed recipient, a $2.45 million project to construct 14 transient boat slips on the Delaware River in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and a $4.99 million facility in Cape Charles, Virginia featuring a 35-slip floating transient dock with fuel station and amenities. State agencies also receive smaller awards of $25,000–$400,000 to administer and monitor BIG grant programs within their jurisdictions.
The portfolio comprises 849 awards totaling $182 million in federal obligations since 2001, representing a 96 percent concentration in Project Grants with smaller shares of Formula Grants (4 percent) and Block Grants (less than 1 percent). The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and its regional offices dominate funding: the national office and Region 4, Region 5, Region 3, and Region 1 together account for 96 percent of awards and 94 percent of federal dollars obligated. Recipients contribute non-federal matching funds; combined federal and non-federal obligations total $391 million, indicating a roughly 47 percent match rate across the portfolio.
Eligible applicants are agencies of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Facilities must serve the general public and may be publicly or privately owned. The program funds construction and renovation of boat slips, piers, mooring buoys, dinghy and day docks, gangways, fuel stations, restrooms, showers, utilities, lighting, and associated amenities. Funds must be obligated within three fiscal years and the grant performance period is three years. Recipients must retain cost records separately by grant for three years after final Federal Financial Report submission.
Two active solicitations opened August 28, 2025, both due October 27, 2025: BIG Tier 1 (F26AS00008) with a $300,000 federal maximum and BIG Tier 2 (F26AS00009) with a $1.5 million federal maximum. Both require at least 25 percent non-federal cost sharing. These replace the FY 2025 solicitations that closed September 18, 2024.
Objective and description
- Objective
This program provides funding to States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and territories for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of docking, mooring, and other facilities for transient, recreational boats 26 feet or greater in leng
- Description
The purpose of Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) is to provide grants to States and Territories to construct, renovate, or maintain facilities for transient recreational vessels 26 feet or more in length. The program is funded by revenues collected from excise taxes on motorboat fuel, certain electric motors and fishing equipment, and import duties on fishing tackle and yachts deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund. Facilities must be open to the public during reasonable time periods.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Agencies from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa may submit grant proposals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Beneficiary eligibility
General Public, specifically owners and/or users of transient, recreational boats 26 feet or greater in length, and municipalities and private marinas within those eligible States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and territories.
- Uses of assistance
This program authorizes matching funds on a competitive basis for constructing, renovating, or maintaining docking, mooring, and other facilities for transient, recreational boats 26 feet or more in length and to produce and distribute information and educational materials about the program.
- Use restrictions
This program authorizes matching funds on a competitive basis for constructing, renovating, or maintaining docking, mooring, and other facilities for transient, recreational boats 26 feet or more in length and to produce and distribute information and educational materials about the program.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Funds must be obligated into a grant within the first 3 fiscal years that it is available. Grant period of performance is also 3 years.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Environmental impact statement not required to apply. However, sometimes one is required before an award can be made. For further information, please contact the regional office. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territory for more information on this process when applying for assistance if the State has selected the program for review.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will select projects for funding based on established criteria included in the NOFO and available funding.
- Award procedure
Regional Offices make awards to approved applicants.
- Appeals
Regional Directors will consider differences of opinion concerning the eligibility of proposals. Final determination rests with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Grant opportunities
Show all 20
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 849 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission | $15,832,916 | 9% |
| 2 | VA State Board Of Health | $11,369,911 | 6% |
| 3 | Natural Resources South Carolina Department | $10,247,062 | 6% |
| 4 | Department Of Natural Resources | $8,870,456 | 5% |
| 5 | The Recreation & Conservation Office | $8,413,378 | 5% |
| 6 | California Department Of Parks & Recreation | $8,293,139 | 5% |
| 7 | Department Of Natural Resources | $7,212,012 | 4% |
| 8 | Department Of Natural Resources | $6,964,569 | 4% |
| 9 | New Jersey Dept Of Transportation | $5,752,924 | 3% |
| 10 | Recreation And Historic Preservation New York State Office Of Parks | $4,229,185 | 2% |
10 of 57 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $234,424 |
| FY2025 | $1,818,508 |
| FY2024 | $11,567,053 |
| FY2023 | $6,535,467 |
| FY2022 | $7,861,422 |
| FY2021 | $10,500,530 |
| FY2020 | $15,813,033 |
| FY2019 | $9,107,371 |
| FY2018 | $7,784,519 |
| FY2017 | $13,372,013 |
| FY2016 | $12,657,299 |
| FY2015 | $14,416,816 |
| FY2014 | $10,490,964 |
| FY2013 | $8,849,075 |
| FY2012 | $7,537,208 |
| FY2009 | $8,553,484 |
| FY2008 | $12,388,649 |
| FY2007 | $5,534,892 |
| FY2005 | $8,914,576 |
| FY2004 | $4,110,673 |
| FY2003 | $66,171 |
| FY2002 | $1,665,214 |
| FY2001 | $1,381,501 |
Show all 23
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.622?
Assistance Listing 15.622 is Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act?
Its CFDA number is 15.622: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.622 awarded?
849 grant awards under 15.622 have obligated $182,042,454 in federal funds to 57 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.622?
The recipients obligated the most under Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act are Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission ($15,832,916), VA State Board Of Health ($11,369,911) and Natural Resources South Carolina Department ($10,247,062).
How much did 15.622 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.622 obligated $1,818,508 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.622?
No opportunity listed under 15.622 is open now. The latest, F26AS00008_FY 2026 - Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Tier 1, was posted on August 28, 2025.
On GovTribe
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