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Archived

F26AS00014 National Outreach and Communications Program

Federal funding opportunity F26AS00014 from Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).

Posted
June 18, 2025
Closed
August 17, 2025
Award ceiling
$26,000,000
Award floor
$100,000
Program funding
$26,000,000
Cost sharing
No
Instrument
Cooperative Agreement, Grant
Assistance listing
15.653
Category
Natural Resources
Archives
October 1, 2025

Program funding history

Awards made under Assistance Listing 15.653 across FY2025–FY2027, from public federal spending records.

FY2025 obligated
$0
FY2026 obligated
$1.6M
FY2027 (to date) obligated
$0
Awards in window
1

Top recipients: Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

Source: USAspending.gov · refreshed October 2026 · Program page: awards, recipients and the opportunities under this listing →

This opportunity is archived. Applications are no longer accepted. Similar grants are listed below, and the free Tuesday digest carries the next ones like it.

Synopsis

Healthy waters and abundant fisheries are the foundation of America’s outdoor traditions and give everyone the freedom to fish, boat, and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation. Participation in recreational boating and fishing are important to our nation’s economy, generating revenue for local communities and small businesses as well as larger retailers and manufacturers of boating and fishing equipment. State fish and wildlife agencies obtain revenue from the sale of fishing licenses and use these to leverage the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund to accomplish fisheries research and management, aquatic resource education, and boating and fishing access construction and maintenance. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking applications from eligible entities (eligible applicants) to implement the National Outreach and Communications Program (NOCP) through innovative programs that may be conducted at various geographic scales, ranging from local or state to regional or national levels. Applications must address one or more of the five purposes of an outreach and communications program, which are defined in the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C.777c-777g) as programs that: improve communications with anglers, boaters, and the general public regarding angling and boating opportunities;reduce barriers to access and participation in angling and boating activities;advance the adoption of sound angling and boating practices in the U.S.;promote conservation and the responsible use of the nation’s aquatic resources; andfurther safety in angling and boating. Funded efforts are expected to support at least one of the following key outcomes: increased participation in fishing and boating; enhanced public awareness and education about how and where to engage in these activities; targeted outreach using research-driven messaging; strengthened capacity among stakeholders to deliver effective outreach; and improved awareness of access to fishing and boating opportunities. Applications should also consider the needs of potential stakeholders such as state and federal agencies, industry, non-governmental organizations, and the angling and boating community. Applications should align with resource management priorities of state, tribal and federal agencies and include collaboration with those agencies when appropriate. Applications should demonstrate a clear alignment with relevant research and Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) best practices while advancing innovative approaches to public engagement. Activities should be evidence-based and designed to produce measurable outcomes. Expected outputs will vary by project but may include the creation and dissemination of outreach materials; digital and in-person engagement; participation in stakeholder training or technical assistance events; and findings from research or campaign evaluations. Funded efforts should build on existing knowledge, test new models, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of fishing and boating participation and aquatic resource stewardship.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are those with experience in addressing one or more of the five primary purposes of the NOCP (see Program Description) and experience with the following: planning and executing local, state, regional, or national marketing campaigns or outreach programs, and identifying and engaging audiences to increase awareness, participation, and behavior change in outdoor recreation, aquatic conservation, or fishing and boating activities. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, those involving fishing and boating marketing campaigns, marketing and social science research and surveys, influencer and other social media campaigns, information and awareness signage or print materials, web-based or app-based tools, instructional videos, hands-on learning, training workshops and toolkits, and events. Applications may request funding for equipment only to the extent that such equipment is necessary, reasonable and cost-effective for accomplishing project objectives. Equipment is defined under 2 CFR 200.1 as tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost that equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the recipient or subrecipient for financial statement purposes, or $10,000. Ineligible activities include, but may not be limited to, the following: Applications requesting funding for projects involving non-motorized watercraft, such as kayaks and paddle boards, are ineligible unless they are directly associated with fishing activities. Any application proposing the use of unmotorized watercraft must demonstrate a purpose and objectives with a clear connection to fishing activities to be considered for funding. Applications requesting funding for land acquisition or construction or renovation of infrastructure are ineligible for funding. Applications that have a primary purpose or objectives that involve generating revenue…

The official record

Grants.gov published the official terms and dates of this opportunity; this page keeps them as they were listed.

View on Grants.gov

Agency contact: Fish and Wildlife Service · [email protected] · 22041-3803

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