F26AS00008_FY 2026 - Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Tier 1

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 for any one or more BIG Tier 1 or Tier 2 awards. 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 1 award. The maximum Federal portion of a Tier 1 award is $300,000. 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.