Grant priorities include projects that:

• Demonstrate interagency/inter-organizational coordination and collaboration
• Have major component(s) that substantially involve other state(s) or large entities/organizations, beyond transferring funds to a sub-recipient what is the potential for the proposed activity to substantially (in scope or scale) address vectors for AIS infiltration (i.e., prevention) into the Great Lakes
• Substantially (in scope or scale) implement/improve early detection efforts in key areas in the Great Lakes
• Substantially (in scope or scale) implement/improve rapid response efforts in the Great Lakes
• Substantially (in scope or scale) implement/improve containment efforts
• Substantially (in scope or scale) reduce the abundance of established AIS (i.e., in the water actions to eliminate an AIS that IS widely established in the Great Lakes, from a new location) in the Great Lakes
• Promote long-term societal, economic, and environmental sustainability goals

For a complete list of grant priorities and review criteria, please refer to the grant full announcement.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.

Proposed work must either be within the Great Lakes Basin or near enough to the basin that it contributes substantially to the prevention and/or control of AIS in the Great Lakes Basin. Activities such as outreach, boat ramp inspections, and/or law enforcement are often done outside the basin but make substantial contributions when work is done in areas where people are likely to transit (and thereby potentially transfer AIS) into the Great Lakes Basin. Early detection, rapid response, and/or control efforts outside the basin must address:

• Species with a substantial potential for interbasin transfer (e.g., hydrilla in a waterbody near the Great Lakes Basin that receives heavy boat use).
• Species of significant concern to the Great Lakes community within a Great Lakes state.
• Activities where the primary motivation is to prevent transfer of AIS into the Great Lakes Basin.

Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required to be eligible for this grant opportunity. However, cost sharing is considered in one of the grant review criteria listed under the Application Review Information section later in this grant opportunity document. With respect to that criterion, all non-federal types of cost share are eligible, e.g., in-kind contributions.

Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.

Examples of eligible activities include:

• outreach
• boat inspections
• law enforcement
• early detection
• rapid response
• control efforts

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.

Projects should be completed within 2 years, although projects may be completed in up to 4 years with strong justification. Please contact grant administrator using the “Contact Information” section below to discuss if your project is anticipated to extend beyond 2 years.

Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.

All pre-proposals, including the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative, must be received no later than 11:59 pm Central Standard Time on March 31, 2024. Pre-proposals are acceptable application submissions for the project ranking phase and must contain the information described in the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative below. Pre-proposals will be ranked to determine funding levels for each at which time applicants will be contacted via email and required to submit full proposals described below. Pre-proposals should be submitted via email.

Once funding levels are established, applicants will be notified of approved funding amounts via email and must then submit each of the application materials listed below via GrantSolutions. All applicants must submit the Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. This form is available with the announcement on Grants.gov and in GrantSolutions.

Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.

For programmatic technical assistance, please contact:
Nathan Evans, Fish and Wildlife Service
Phone: (612) 286-4212

For program administration assistance, please contact:
Mallory Mackey, Fish and Wildlife Service
Phone: (612) 713-5106

For help regarding Grants.gov, please contact:
Customer support
Phone: (800) 518-4726

For help regarding GrantSolutions, please contact:
Customer Support
Phone: (866) 577-0771