F26AS00009_FY 2026 - Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Tier 2
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Fish and Wildlife Service notices from 2025.
Fish and Wildlife Service offered grants of up to $1.5 million to state and local governments. It expected to make $14.0 million in total. Applications closed on October 27, 2025.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed August 28, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$1.5 million
- Total funding$14.0 million
- Cost sharingRequired
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | August 28, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | October 27, 2025 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | December 31, 2026 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to state and local governments.
- State governments
Eligible applicants are the governor-designated agencies of the United States, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and the mayor-designated agency of the District of Columbia. You may not apply directly if you are not one of these entities. If you are uncertain of your eligibility, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see Regional Office of Conservation Investment Contacts above).
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act awards averaged $271,510; this notice allows up to $1.5 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (100% over five years) went to state and local governments.
- The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.
What the grant funds
The Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program (16 United States Code (U.S.C.) 777g-1) provides cost-sharing awards to eligible agencies of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The purpose of the program is to maintain, renovate, and construct new boating facilities and associated boater amenities for transient recreational vessels at least 26 feet long that are operated, leased, rented, or chartered primarily for pleasure. Transient vessels are recreational vessels staying no more than 15 days at a facility. These facilities must provide public access and may be publicly or privately owned. Eligible activities may include but are not limited to:Boat slips, piers, mooring buoys, dinghy or courtesy docks, day docks, and gangwaysFuel stations, restrooms, showers, utilities, laundry facilities, and similar amenitiesLighting, communications, buoys, beacons, signals, markers, signs, and security featuresAdministration, coordination, and monitoring of the Tier 2 award. Complete information on other eligible and ineligible activities and the requirements for participation in the program can be found in the BIG Program regulations (50 CFR 86). Review these regulations and this announcement carefully before applying for a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 BIG Tier 2 award. The maximum Federal portion of a Tier 2 award is $1,500,000. The recipient agency, a subrecipient, and/or another third party must provide at least 25 percent of the total project cost in non-federal cost sharing or match. For more information on the BIG Program, visit the Service's Boating Infrastructure Home Page.
Who has won Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act (15.622) awarded $38.3 million across 141 grant awards, an average of $271,510 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Florida | 9 | $7.7 million |
| VA State Board of Health | Virginia | 14 | $5.8 million |
| California Department of Parks & Recreation | California | 8 | $5.4 million |
| North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | North Carolina | 8 | $4.7 million |
| Department of Natural Resources | Michigan | 8 | $4.6 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is F26AS00009 still open?
No. It closed on October 27, 2025.
Who can apply for F26AS00009_FY 2026 - Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Tier 2?
Fish and Wildlife Service accepted applications from state and local governments. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for F26AS00009_FY 2026 - Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Tier 2?
Closed October 27, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $1.5 million each. About $14.0 million in total.
Who has won Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, VA State Board of Health, California Department of Parks & Recreation. The program made 141 awards worth $38.3 million in that time.
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