Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2026 33781
The DARRP Restoration Implementation Grants (2026) is a NOAA funding opportunity designed to partner with non-federal organizations to carry out marine and coastal habitat restoration and conservation projects tied to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and other incidents that cause natural resource damages. Run through NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP), the program is aimed at translating legal restoration requirements and restoration plans into on-the-ground action, often at a broad geographic scale. The work supported is closely connected to formal authorities and processes used after environmental harm occurs, including restoration activities authorized under the Oil Pollution Act, CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act), the Clean Water Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and related authorities such as the RESTORE Act.
The focus is implementation: funded partners are expected to help deliver restoration activities already identified through consent decrees, natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) settlements, or approved restoration plans. Projects can include selecting and executing specific restoration actions in coordination with trustee councils or trustees, and in some cases running competitive processes to sub-award or contract out portions of the work. NOAA is looking for applicants that can manage complex, multi-project restoration portfolios, which can involve reviewing restoration plans, coordinating with trustees to prioritize actions, overseeing contractors or subrecipients, and ensuring projects meet technical requirements and timelines.
Eligible restoration activities are broadly framed around improving marine and coastal ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them. Examples described at a program level include actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, support the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, and strengthen economic vitality in affected regions, including local job creation tied to restoration work. Beyond direct implementation, the grant can also support enabling work that makes restoration possible or more effective, such as pre- and post-restoration monitoring and evaluation, environmental compliance analyses, restoration planning, or restoration technique development. This planning and technique work can apply to current restoration obligations as well as preparations for potential future incidents when it aligns with DARRP goals and partner needs.
Funding is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means NOAA expects substantial involvement during the project, such as collaboration on planning, coordination with trustees, and oversight of restoration outcomes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the environment and natural resources area (CFDA 11.463). The notice emphasizes capacity to implement restoration and conservation across a wide geographic scale, suggesting that strong applicants will have demonstrated experience managing large, multi-stakeholder restoration efforts, along with the systems needed for compliance, procurement or subawards, monitoring, and reporting.
Eligibility is limited to non-federal entities: institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and commercial (for-profit) organizations may apply. Applications from federal, state, or tribal governments will not be considered because those entities may serve as trustees or trustee council members in NRDA processes, creating conflicts or role complications. Local governments are generally not prioritized, but they can be considered if they can point to potential large-scale restoration opportunities linked to current or anticipated restoration plans. Individuals and employees of federal agencies are not eligible to apply. Organizations that are not eligible are encouraged to partner with eligible applicants instead, which is an important pathway for groups that want to participate but cannot serve as the direct recipient.
Key administrative details included in the listing are the opportunity number (NOAA NMFS HCPO 2026 33781), the agency (U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA), an application deadline of 2026-11-18, and an award ceiling listed at $100,000,000. The overall intent is to fund partners that can take restoration requirements from legal and planning documents and deliver measurable ecological and community benefits through well-managed, accountable restoration implementation.Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2026 33781
- The DOC NOAA - ERA Production in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DARRP Restoration Implementation Grants (2026)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.463.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-18. (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 $100,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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FAQs: DARRP Restoration Implementation Grants (2026)
What is the DARRP Restoration Implementation Grants (2026) opportunity?
This is a NOAA funding opportunity designed to partner with non-federal organizations to carry out marine and coastal habitat restoration and conservation projects connected to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and other incidents that cause natural resource damages. The work is run through NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) and is focused on turning restoration requirements and restoration plans into real, on-the-ground projects.
Which agency is offering this grant?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under NOAA's DARRP.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is NOAA NMFS HCPO 2026 33781.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline listed is 2026-11-18.
What type of funding instrument is this?
Funding is offered as a cooperative agreement. This typically means NOAA expects substantial involvement during the project, including collaboration on planning, coordination with trustees, and oversight of restoration outcomes.
What is the program trying to accomplish?
The program aims to translate legal restoration requirements and restoration plans into implementation at meaningful scale. The intent is to fund partners that can deliver measurable ecological and community benefits through well-managed, accountable restoration implementation tied to formal restoration obligations.
Is this funding focused on planning or on implementation?
The emphasis is implementation. Funded partners are expected to help deliver restoration activities already identified through consent decrees, NRDA settlements, or approved restoration plans. The grant can also support enabling work (such as monitoring, compliance analyses, planning, and technique development) when it supports implementation or makes restoration more effective.
What kinds of incidents are these projects tied to?
The opportunity is tied to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and other incidents that cause natural resource damages.
What legal authorities and processes are connected to this work?
The work is closely connected to formal authorities and processes used after environmental harm occurs, including restoration activities authorized under the Oil Pollution Act, CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act), the Clean Water Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and related authorities such as the RESTORE Act.
What is NRDA and why does it matter for this opportunity?
The opportunity references natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) settlements and related trustee processes because the projects being implemented are expected to be identified through those settlements, consent decrees, or approved restoration plans that come out of these formal damage assessment and restoration pathways.
What are trustee councils or trustees, and how do they relate to projects?
The notice indicates that projects may involve selecting and executing restoration actions in coordination with trustee councils or trustees. Applicants are expected to coordinate with trustees to prioritize actions and to help ensure implementation aligns with technical requirements, timelines, and restoration planning documents.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to non-federal entities. Institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and commercial (for-profit) organizations may apply.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
No. Individuals and employees of federal agencies are not eligible to apply, and applications from federal entities will not be considered.
Are state or tribal governments eligible to apply?
No. Applications from state or tribal governments will not be considered because those entities may serve as trustees or trustee council members in NRDA processes, which can create conflicts or role complications.
Are local governments eligible to apply?
Local governments are generally not prioritized, but they can be considered if they can point to potential large-scale restoration opportunities linked to current or anticipated restoration plans.
If my organization is not eligible, is there any way to participate?
Yes. Organizations that are not eligible are encouraged to partner with eligible applicants. Partnering is described as an important pathway for groups that want to participate but cannot serve as the direct recipient.
What kinds of organizations does NOAA seem to be looking for?
The listing emphasizes capacity to implement restoration and conservation across a wide geographic scale. Strong applicants are described as those with demonstrated experience managing large, multi-stakeholder restoration efforts and the systems needed for compliance, procurement or subawards, monitoring, and reporting.
What kinds of activities can be funded?
Eligible restoration activities are broadly framed around improving marine and coastal ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them. Program-level examples include actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, support the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, and strengthen economic vitality in affected regions, including local job creation tied to restoration work.
Can the grant support monitoring and evaluation?
Yes. The grant can support enabling work such as pre- and post-restoration monitoring and evaluation.
Can the grant support environmental compliance work?
Yes. The opportunity notes that environmental compliance analyses can be supported as enabling work that makes restoration possible or more effective.
Can the grant support restoration planning or restoration technique development?
Yes. Beyond direct implementation, the grant can support restoration planning and restoration technique development, including preparations for potential future incidents when aligned with DARRP goals and partner needs.
Does the work have to be tied to an existing restoration plan or settlement?
The notice emphasizes that funded partners are expected to implement restoration activities already identified through consent decrees, NRDA settlements, or approved restoration plans. Planning and technique development may also be supported when it aligns with DARRP goals and partner needs, including preparation for potential future incidents.
Can projects include subawards or contracting?
Yes. The description notes that, in some cases, partners may run competitive processes to sub-award or contract out portions of the work, and that applicants may be overseeing contractors or subrecipients as part of implementation.
Is this considered discretionary funding?
Yes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the environment and natural resources area.
What is the CFDA number listed for this program?
The listing references CFDA 11.463.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling listed is $100,000,000.
What geographic scale does NOAA expect projects to cover?
The notice emphasizes capacity to implement restoration and conservation across a wide geographic scale, and it describes the work as often occurring at a broad geographic scale.
What types of management responsibilities might a funded partner have?
The opportunity describes managing complex, multi-project restoration portfolios. Examples include reviewing restoration plans, coordinating with trustees to prioritize actions, overseeing contractors or subrecipients, running competitive processes for subawards or contracts (in some cases), and ensuring projects meet technical requirements and timelines.
How involved will NOAA be during the project?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NOAA expects substantial involvement, such as collaboration on planning, coordination with trustees, and oversight of restoration outcomes.
What kinds of benefits is NOAA expecting from funded projects?
The overall intent is to deliver measurable ecological and community benefits. The notice references ecosystem improvements (marine and coastal habitats, fisheries, threatened and endangered species recovery) and community-related outcomes such as strengthened economic vitality and local job creation tied to restoration work.
Why are some government entities not eligible?
The notice indicates that federal, state, and tribal governments will not be considered because they may serve as trustees or trustee council members in NRDA processes, which can create conflicts or role complications when applying as a recipient.
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