This funding opportunity has closed, and applications are no longer being accepted. The documents linked below are for information only. Future rounds of Watershed Council grants will likely use similar guidelines and processes.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) received 45 proposals requesting over $1.5 million in response to the FY 2027 Request for Proposals (RFP). The proposals are now being reviewed, and funding decisions will be announced early next year.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) requested proposals from watershed-based organizations to support general organizational administration needs as well as conservation and educational activities. Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) was available through this RFP. Individual grants are capped at $40,000 each with an approximately 12-month timeframe. No local match is required.
A webinar was hosted by EGLE staff to present details of this grant program, the application process, and to answer questions from the audience. You can access a recording of this webinar at Applying for EGLE's FY27 Watershed Council Grants - Zoom. Copies of the slides used for the webinar are available from NPS staff.
Schedule
- Webinar: 10:00 am August 27, 2026
- Proposals Due: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
- Announce Grant Awards: Spring 2027
Eligible applicants include Watershed Councils and Watershed Alliances established under State law as well as local units of government, tribal entities, colleges, universities, and entities with 501(c)(3) status working to improve water quality on a watershed basis.
Eligible activities and Eligible watersheds include general organizational administration as well as conservation and educational efforts in all watersheds Statewide. For additional information, please contact your District NPS Staff person or Autumn Mitchell.
Request for Proposal Documents