An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
You've been logged out. Please sign in again.
F26AS00062: Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act FY 2026
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requests interested entities to submit research, restoration, and Regional Project proposals for the restoration of the Great Lakes Basin fish and wildlife resources, as authorized under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (16U.S.C. 941c). The purpose of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (GLFWRA) is to provide assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration, research, and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes...
Basin. Supported in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we expect approximately $3.5 million to support proposals this fiscal year. Available funding and proposal awards are subject to final Congressional appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026. Up to 33 and one-third percent of the total Congressional appropriation to the GLFWRA is eligible to fund Regional Project proposals. Expected award funding for Regional Project proposals is between $200,000 to $500,000. Successful restoration and research proposals have ranged from $2,000 to $500,000 with the average proposal at $217,843. Expected award funding for restoration and research proposals is between $10,000 and $250,000. Selected restoration and research proposals and Regional Project proposals will be awarded funding for the duration of the proposal via a grant or cooperative agreement between the recipient and the Service. Funding will be made available once the official award letter has been received by the successful applicant and the performance period has started. Continuation of proposals funded in previous fiscal years are eligible but will be considered and reviewed as a new proposal. Restoration and research proposals will be awarded a grant agreement and Regional Project proposals will be awarded a cooperative agreement under this announcement. Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network partners that submit Regional Project proposals that qualify as CESU proposals will be subject to the CESU indirect cost rate cap. Regional Projects are authorized activities of the Service related to fish and wildlife resource protection, restoration, maintenance, and enhancement impacting the resources of multiple States or Indian Tribes with fish and wildlife management authority in the Great Lakes Basin. The two-page restoration and research pre-proposals and Regional Project proposals are submitted to the Service to determine eligibility and the Proposal Review Committee (PRC) scores and ranks the proposals using GLFWRA Review Criteria (Review Criteria). Successful restoration and research pre-proposal applicants are invited to submit full proposals, which are scored and ranked by the PRC using the Review Criteria. The PRC recommends the restoration and research full proposals and Regional Project proposals for funding to the Service"s Midwest Region 3 Regional Director for approval. Successful restoration and research and Regional Project proposal applicants can anticipate receiving an official grant or cooperative agreement award letter between January and March 2027.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Government
State governments
County governments
Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
Special district governments
City or township governments
Miscellaneous
Other
Individuals
Unrestricted
Nonprofit
Other Native American tribal organizations
Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
Business
Small businesses
Education
Public and state institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Independent school districts
Additional information
The proposal activities (e.g., habitat restoration and barrier removal) must be within the Great Lakes Basin or impact a fish or wildlife species (e.g., research, assessment) present in the Great Lakes Basin to be eligible for funding.
This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.
Award
$3,500,000
Program Funding
15
Expected awards
$2,000
Award Minimum
$500,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
F26AS00062
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
Yes
Funding instrument type:
Cooperative agreement
Grant
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
--
Category of Funding Activity:
Natural resources
Category Explanation:
--
History
Version:
1
Posted date:
June 1, 2026
Archive date:
September 30, 2026
Your account requires additional identity verification.
You must sign in with your government employee ID. Make sure you've set up your Personal Identity Verification (PIV) or Common Access Card (CAC) as a two-factor authentication method.