F25AS00003 - NAWCA 2025-1 US Standard Grants | F25AS00003

Opportunity Information: Apply for F25AS00003

F25AS00003, NAWCA 2025-1 US Standard Grants, is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.623 that funds on-the-ground wetlands conservation projects in the United States through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The program is designed as a competitive, matching grant program that centers on public-private partnerships, meaning proposals are expected to bring together multiple partners and funding sources to accomplish habitat work that would be difficult to achieve with federal dollars alone. Projects supported through this program are intended to advance national and continental wetland and migratory bird conservation priorities while also supporting broader Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goals around conserving land and water, strengthening climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and leveraging collaborative conservation approaches.

Funded projects must focus on long-term habitat outcomes. In practical terms, eligible work must be limited to the long-term protection, restoration, enhancement, and/or establishment of wetlands and associated upland habitats, with an emphasis on supporting the diversity of wetland ecosystems. The wildlife purpose is explicit: projects should maintain or increase the abundance of waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) and also benefit other wetlands-associated migratory birds. The opportunity points applicants to align projects with well-established bird conservation strategies, including the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, the Waterbird Conservation Plan for the Americas, and the Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan. The overall framing is habitat-based conservation with measurable, durable benefits for migratory bird populations and the wetland systems they depend on.

A key requirement is the 1:1 non-federal match. For every federal dollar requested, applicants must provide at least one dollar in eligible non-federal matching contributions. This match structure strongly shapes proposal design, partnership development, and budgeting, since applicants typically need to document committed cash and/or in-kind contributions from non-federal sources to meet or exceed the required ratio. Another important constraint is that research funding is ineligible, so proposals should be built around implementation and direct conservation actions rather than studies or purely research-driven activities.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants that commonly participate in habitat conservation partnerships. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education); individuals; and small businesses. The funding instrument is a grant, the activity category is natural resources, and the stated award ceiling is $3,000,000 per award. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2024-02-23 and a creation date of 2023-12-18. Additional program details and current guidance are referenced at https://fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-standard.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F25AS00003 - NAWCA 2025-1 US Standard Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.623.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, Small businesses.

Apply for F25AS00003

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: