Fox River NRDA | F20AS00032

Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00032

The Fox River NRDA grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F20AS00032) is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, focused on natural resource restoration work tied to the Fox River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) effort. The funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which means projects are expected to be carried out in close coordination with the Fish and Wildlife Service rather than as hands off pass through grants. The notice emphasizes that substantial involvement by Service staff is anticipated for successful project completion, and that the public synopsis must clearly describe what roles Service personnel will play in the funded work, such as technical coordination, oversight, planning support, or other project specific participation.

Funding under this opportunity can be significant, with an award ceiling of up to 3,000,000 dollars and an estimate of roughly 15 awards. The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public or Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status; for profit organizations that are not small businesses; and small businesses. In other words, the program is structured to allow a wide range of organizations to participate in restoration, monitoring, planning, design, implementation, outreach, or other natural resource related activities that align with NRDA restoration priorities for the Fox River area, subject to the specifics laid out in the full notice of funding opportunity.

A key procedural point is that this opportunity does not present a single universal deadline in the synopsis. Instead, interested and eligible parties are instructed to contact the NRDA Restoration Coordinator for submission instructions and the applicable timeline, as described in the agency contacts section of the full funding notice. This suggests applications may be accepted on a coordinated schedule or by invitation, and that applicants should be prepared to discuss project fit, readiness, and submission requirements directly with the program contact before assembling a final package.

The announcement also includes internal compliance reminders about how the opportunity must be written and posted. Because the synopsis fields populate Grants.gov, it warns that certain special characters cannot be used in the program title or description to avoid posting errors. It also notes additional requirements if any award is issued as a single source action, meaning without competition. In that case, the awarding office must identify the intended recipient, clearly state that the award will be made without competition, cite the justification criteria the recipient meets under the relevant policy, and explain why competing the award is not practical. These points are primarily administrative, but they signal that some awards under this NRDA effort may be targeted when justified by project specific circumstances, expertise, continuity needs, or other practical limitations on competition.

Overall, Fox River NRDA funding is best understood as a cooperative, restoration oriented grant mechanism where the Fish and Wildlife Service expects to remain actively involved in project execution, and where applicants should initiate contact with the Restoration Coordinator to confirm fit, timing, and submission mechanics before proceeding.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fox River NRDA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.658.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Those eligible and interested in applying for funds from the NRDA Program are requested to contact the Restoration Coordinator for submission instructions and timeline (see Section VIII. Agency Contacts of the attached NOFO).. (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.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• 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), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for F20AS00032

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