FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grants: $50,000–$1 Million for State-Led Conservation Projects, Deadline September 18

FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grants: $50,000–$1 Million for State-Led Conservation Projects, Deadline September 18

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has opened the FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program. The notice estimates $7,612,000 in total federal funding and approximately 16 awards, with individual federal shares from $50,000 to $1 million. Applications are due September 18, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

This is a specialized public grant. It is not open to individual conservationists, universities applying on their own, nonprofits, private landowners, local governments, or businesses. The eligible applicant must be a state, territory, or District of Columbia fish and wildlife agency, or one of four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies: the Northeast Association (NEAFWA), Southeast Association (SEAFWA), Midwest Association (MAFWA), or Western Association (WAFWA). Those agencies can build projects with Tribes, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, private landowners, and other partners, but those partners do not become eligible lead applicants merely by joining a project.

The competition is designed for proactive conservation. A proposal should connect its work to one or more Service-approved State or Territory Wildlife Action Plans and benefit at least one species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), or the habitat on which that species depends. The notice also allows surveys and monitoring that could support a future SGCN designation, as well as a documented emerging wildlife issue. The strongest applications will make the link between an identified conservation need, a specific action, a measurable result, and a credible partnership easy to follow.

Key details

The award range is not a promise that every selected project will receive the same amount. The maximum federal share depends on the award tier and the number of active participants. The notice defines an active participant as a project partner other than the applicant that contributes at least 10% of the total project cost through requested funds, matching funds, or both.

What the grant supports

C-SWG funding supports proactive work for wild animal species and their habitats. Eligible activities include implementing actions identified in a Wildlife Action Plan, conducting surveys and monitoring, carrying out biological research, managing habitat, and addressing an emerging wildlife issue. The FWS program page describes the wider State Wildlife Grants program as supporting research, surveys, species restoration, habitat management, and monitoring for species of greatest conservation need.

The competitive round is intended to encourage cooperation and innovation at a larger geographic scale than ordinary formula allocations. A multi-state project may coordinate monitoring protocols across jurisdictions, manage connected habitat, address a shared threat, or combine agency expertise around a species whose range crosses state or territorial boundaries. A single state or territory may still apply under Tier 1, so a cross-state proposal is not an absolute requirement. It is, however, important to show why the selected scale and partners are appropriate for the problem.

The notice specifically excludes wildlife education, recreation, outreach, and law enforcement as stand-alone activities. They can be included when they are minor or incidental components that are necessary to the project’s success. The announcement also says that education and outreach or law-enforcement costs should not exceed 10% of total project cost when they are necessary to meet project objectives. A proposal centered on public programming rather than measurable species or habitat conservation is therefore a poor fit.

Who can apply and who cannot

Only the designated fish and wildlife agencies of states, territories, and the District of Columbia can apply as eligible government applicants. The four named regional associations can also apply. The notice is unusually explicit that academic institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, private landowners, individuals, and local units of government are not eligible to apply directly.

That restriction changes how a potential partner should approach the opportunity. A university or conservation nonprofit with strong technical capacity should normally contact the relevant state or territorial agency about joining an agency-led proposal, rather than preparing an independent Grants.gov application. A private landowner may contribute access, matching resources, or implementation capacity through an agency project, but cannot serve as the applicant under this notice. The application should identify the role of each partner and the activities that partner will manage.

The project itself must benefit an SGCN or its habitat identified in a Service-approved Wildlife Action Plan. The application must identify the relevant species, describe its current condition or the condition of its habitat using baseline information where available, and cite the exact sections or pages of each participating agency’s plan. If a plan is available only online, the notice asks applicants to include the full URL. A general statement that a project is good for biodiversity will not substitute for this plan-based documentation.

The notice also makes room for an emerging issue affecting a species that is not yet an SGCN. In that case, the application must describe the species and issue, commit to monitoring effectiveness, and include a signed statement that the next Wildlife Action Plan will include the species as an SGCN if it remains a priority. This route is for a documented conservation problem or recently recognized opportunity, not a way to avoid identifying a clear species and plan connection.

Award tiers and partnership structure

The federal share is organized into four tiers. Tier 1 permits a maximum federal share of $250,000. In the contiguous states and the District of Columbia, it requires at least one active participant, which may be a state or non-state entity. For Alaska and the island jurisdictions, Tier 1 does not require an active participant under the same rule, but an association applicant must include at least one fish and wildlife agency active participant.

Tier 2 has a $500,000 maximum. In the contiguous states and D.C., it requires at least one other fish and wildlife agency active participant. In Alaska and the island jurisdictions, it requires at least one active participant, while an association applicant must include at least two fish and wildlife agency active participants.

Tier 3 has a $750,000 maximum. It requires at least two other fish and wildlife agency active participants in the contiguous states and D.C., at least two active participants in Alaska and the island jurisdictions, and at least three fish and wildlife agency active participants for an association applicant. Tier 4 has a $1 million maximum and increases those requirements to at least three other fish and wildlife agency active participants, at least three active participants, and at least four fish and wildlife agency active participants respectively.

The applicant must identify every active participant and justify the selected tier in the Budget Narrative. A project involving two or more fish and wildlife agency active participants must name a lead entity. The notice provides two administration choices: one award to the lead entity with subawards, or separate awards to multiple recipients. The second choice requires each recipient to submit a complete application and maintain its own financial and performance reporting. Decide this structure early because it affects budgets, letters, objectives, and internal approvals.

Cost share and registration requirements

For recipients in the continental states, Hawaii, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the federal share may not exceed 75% of total project cost. The required non-federal contribution is therefore at least 25% of the total project cost, not merely 25% of the federal request. The notice gives a practical calculation: divide the federal request by three. A $500,000 federal request requires at least $166,667 in non-federal cost share, producing a total project cost of approximately $666,667.

The cost share may come from the applicant, a subrecipient, a contractor, or another third party, provided it meets the federal allowability rules. A third party providing matching cash or in-kind contributions must submit a signed commitment letter that states the cash amount and describes and values any in-kind contribution. The figures in that letter must match the SF-424, budget, and Budget Narrative. The requirement is waived for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Applicants other than individuals applying as natural persons must register in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity ID. The notice warns that SAM registration can take several months and must remain active through the application and award process. Applicants should then establish their Grants.gov registration and Workspace, with the notice advising that this setup can take about 30 days. GrantSolutions is also an accepted submission route and has its own organization and user-role registration process. Confirm which route the lead agency will use before the team begins assembling forms.

Application contents and submission process

Every application needs an SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance and a plain-language Project Abstract Summary describing the purpose, activities, outcomes, beneficiaries, and known subrecipient activities. Non-construction projects use SF-424A; construction or real-property acquisition uses SF-424C. SF-429 is required when the request involves acquiring, improving, or furnishing real property. SF-LLL is conditional for applicants requesting more than $100,000 that have used or plan to use non-federal funds for lobbying related to the project.

The core Project Narrative has a 15-page limit. The complete application has a 50-page limit, and extra pages may not be reviewed or may delay or jeopardize the application. The narrative should identify the response to each merit criterion within the prose or in a navigation table with page numbers. It needs a plan-aligned need statement, measurable objectives using the program’s Standard Objectives where applicable, a detailed approach, expected results, project locations, and a data-management plan.

The approach should name principal investigators with work contact information, describe methods and protocols, explain the responsibilities of agencies and partners, identify milestones, and show how results will be managed and shared. Proposals involving direct management should use a standard, replicable monitoring protocol across the project area. The expected-results section should connect the proposed actions to short-, intermediate-, and long-term benefits using scientific evidence or other appropriate support.

The Budget Narrative must justify each cost, identify the federal request, total project cost, cost share, third-party contributions, and any pre-award costs, and explain the award tier. Applicants must also include an indirect-cost statement, a Single Audit statement, an overlap or duplication statement, and any required conflict-of-interest disclosure. Association applicants must include an IRS determination letter. Missing partner commitment letters can make a proposal ineligible, so do not leave them until the final upload.

Submit electronically by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 18, 2026. The notice allows applicants to ask the appropriate Regional Office of Conservation Investment for a draft or component review at least four weeks before the deadline, but staff availability is not guaranteed. This is a useful quality-control option for a nearly complete package, not a substitute for early planning or a promise that FWS will rewrite a proposal.

How reviewers will judge the proposal

The initial review checks eligibility, completeness, required cost sharing, reasonable and allowable costs, the selected award tier, required letters and statements, and active SAM registration. Applications that do not respond to the notice or are not responsive to its program objectives can be removed before full merit review.

The comprehensive merit review has a maximum score of 70 points. Reviewers examine whether the need is documented in the applicable Wildlife Action Plan and whether the project targets a high-priority SGCN. They then assess the clarity of the objectives, the scientific soundness and feasibility of the approach, data standardization, compliance planning, conservation impact, external communications, and budget completeness. Bonus points are available in parts of the rubric for additional partners, a new time-sensitive wildlife crisis, high-priority species, certain species groups, direct habitat management or population augmentation, and benefits to multiple SGCN.

A persuasive proposal should make the reviewer’s work easy. Put the plan citation beside the need it supports. Use a measurable objective with a unit and date rather than a broad aspiration. Explain how each partner’s contribution changes what the project can accomplish. Include a compliance table covering the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and National Historic Preservation Act, with time and resources budgeted where needed. Then check that the numbers, partner letters, tier, and narrative all describe the same project.

Preparation strategy and common mistakes

Start with an eligibility decision, not a species list. Confirm that the lead organization is one of the narrowly permitted applicants, select the agency or association that will administer the award, and identify the regional FWS contact. Next, choose the target SGCN or documented emerging issue and locate the exact Wildlife Action Plan actions, page references, baseline data, and threat information that support the project.

Build the partnership and budget at the same time. The desired tier determines the active-participant requirements, while the federal request determines the minimum match. Obtain signed commitment letters before the budget is final. For a multi-recipient project, decide between a lead award with subawards and separate awards, then create objectives and budget lines that match that decision.

Common errors include applying as an ineligible organization, treating a nonprofit or university as an eligible lead, underestimating the match, failing to cite a Wildlife Action Plan, describing outreach as the main activity, and naming partners without assigning duties. Other avoidable problems are an unregistered SAM.gov entity, a narrative longer than 15 pages, a full package longer than 50 pages, inconsistent cost-share figures, unsupported claims about species benefits, missing letters, and an incomplete compliance discussion.

The final review should be a requirements audit. Confirm the application number, deadline time zone, forms, registration status, page limits, award tier, match calculation, partner signatures, project locations, monitoring protocol, data-sharing plan, and overlap statement. Keep a copy of the submitted package and the Grants.gov or GrantSolutions confirmation. A submission receipt is evidence of transmission, not an award; work should not begin until the authorized federal award is issued unless an approved pre-award-cost arrangement applies.

Timeline, award administration, and reporting

The application deadline is September 18, 2026. FWS expects to conduct eligibility and merit review after the deadline, followed by any required Department of the Interior review and risk review. The notice lists an anticipated project start date of September 26, 2026, and an anticipated end date of September 29, 2029, but it also says that performance cannot begin until the Service Director signs the approval memorandum and that factors outside FWS control can delay the start.

Selected applicants receive an electronic Notice of Federal Award through GrantSolutions or email. The signed notice is the legal instrument that obligates the funds and states the terms, conditions, and payment instructions. Applicants may need to complete compliance documentation within three months of notification if possible. Typical performance periods are two to three years, although the notice says the authorizing legislation does not impose a three-year limit and that regional offices can advise on extensions.

Recipients generally submit Federal Financial Reports using SF-425 and program performance reports, monitor progress, report delays or conditions that affect objectives, disclose conflicts of interest that arise during the award, and report on federally interested real property when applicable. The project should therefore be designed with reporting data in mind from the beginning. A monitoring protocol that produces reliable counts, acreage, habitat condition, or other stated measures is more useful than a plan that promises outcomes without explaining how they will be observed.

Frequently asked questions

Can a university or nonprofit submit its own application?

No. The notice limits eligible applicants to state, territory, and D.C. fish and wildlife agencies and the four named regional associations. Universities and nonprofits may participate as partners, subrecipients, or contributors where the lead agency’s arrangement permits, but they are not eligible lead applicants under this opportunity.

Does every project need multiple states?

No. A single state or territory can apply under Tier 1. Higher award tiers require more active participants, and the program is structured to encourage cross-jurisdictional work, but a multi-state project is not mandatory for every application.

How much match is required for a $250,000 request?

For most eligible jurisdictions, the minimum is one third of the federal request: approximately $83,334. This is the amount needed for a 25% share of total project cost. The insular-area waiver applies to American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Can a project include outreach or education?

Yes, when it is necessary to the project and remains a minor or incidental component. The notice says costs for education, outreach, or law enforcement should not exceed 10% of total project cost in the circumstances it describes. They should not replace direct conservation, research, monitoring, or habitat work.

Is funding guaranteed in future years?

No. FWS says C-SWG funding is appropriated annually by Congress and that there is no guarantee of future appropriations. This page covers the FY 2026 notice only.

Official links and contact

Review the complete FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant notice on Grants.gov before applying. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants program page provides background on the formula and competitive programs, past funding context, and Wildlife Action Plan focus. The notice identifies Nicholas Popoff as the national contact at [email protected] and 413-362-9067. Questions about a specific state, territory, or partnership should be directed to the relevant FWS Regional Office of Conservation Investment well before the deadline.