Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS BIG 11
Apply for FWS BIG 11
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.622 Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 18, 2010 and posted on May 17, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 22, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
- State governments are eligible to apply, however, if you work for a marina owner or private entity, you may wish to contact your State agency to see about possibly being a subgrantee.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG) Tier 2 is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the authority of the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178), codified at 16 U.S.C. 777g-1. The program was created to help states and territories build and maintain boating facilities that serve transient, nontrailerable recreational vessels. In this context, "nontrailerable" means recreational boats that are 26 feet long or longer (including pleasure boats and boats leased, rented, or chartered for recreation), and "transient" refers to boats that are passing through and staying at a location for ten days or less. The program is tied to the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (also known as the Wallop-Breaux Act, 16 U.S.C. 777), and it continues to be funded through reauthorizations that allow expenditures from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
For FY 2011, the agency anticipated awarding about $10 million in Tier 2 funding nationwide, with an estimated 10 awards. Individual awards could be as large as $1.5 million, and the published award floor is $0 (meaning there is no stated minimum award size, though competitive proposals would typically request meaningful funding). The opportunity is identified on Grants.gov as Funding Opportunity Number FWS BIG 11, with the activity categories listed as Community Development and Transportation, and the CFDA number 15.622. The application window for the posted announcement opened in May 2010 and closed on September 22, 2010, with the archive date listed as October 22, 2010. The agency also referenced prior demand and scale by noting that in FY 2010 it awarded more than $12 million in Tier 2 grants to 10 states for 13 projects, which gives a rough sense of the program's typical award volume and competitiveness.
Eligibility is limited to state governments (a term the announcement uses to include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, commonwealths, and U.S. territories). While private entities such as marina owners cannot apply directly as the primary applicant, the notice explicitly suggests that private or local partners should coordinate with their state agency to potentially participate as a subgrantee or project partner. Cost sharing or matching is required, so applicants should expect to provide non-federal match as part of the full project financing plan.
The program is governed by the BIG final rule at 50 CFR 86 (published January 18, 2001, 66 FR 5282), which establishes the requirements for participating in BIG. The purpose of Tier 2 specifically is to support larger-scale boating infrastructure improvements for transient, nontrailerable boats, typically the kinds of improvements that expand or enhance access for larger recreational vessels traveling between destinations. The notice also points applicants to additional program information hosted by the Fish and Wildlife Service, indicating that the announcement is part of an ongoing, structured national grant program rather than a one-time funding event.
Several updates were highlighted for the FY 2011 request, aimed at making applications more consistent and reviewable. These included expanded examples of what information to include in an application, a 20-page limit for the project narrative, and a suggested order for organizing forms and supporting documents in the application package. The announcement also clarified dredging rules, including a cap that limits dredging to 10 percent of total BIG project costs (including match) per application, signaling that dredging can be part of a project but is not intended to dominate the budget. In addition, the agency noted clarifications to ranking criteria, indicating that proposal scoring and competitiveness depend on meeting specific evaluation factors described in the request for applications.
Applicants looking for related funding were informed that Tier 1 is issued separately under a different Grants.gov listing (FWS BIG 11 T1), which matters because Tier 1 and Tier 2 can have different project scales and competitive considerations. For support, the announcement lists a national program contact for general grant questions and directs project-specific or application questions to regional coordinators named in the request for applications attachment, reflecting that proposal development and compliance are often handled regionally even within a national program structure.
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG) Tier 2 (FWS BIG 11) FAQs
What is the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG) Tier 2?
BIG Tier 2 is a discretionary federal grant program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help states and territories build and maintain boating facilities that serve transient, nontrailerable recreational vessels.
What law authorizes BIG Tier 2?
The program is authorized by the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178), codified at 16 U.S.C. 777g-1. It is tied to the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (also known as the Wallop-Breaux Act, 16 U.S.C. 777).
How is the program funded?
BIG continues to be funded through reauthorizations that allow expenditures from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
What types of boats does BIG Tier 2 serve?
Tier 2 is intended for recreational boats that are nontrailerable, defined in this context as vessels that are 26 feet long or longer, including pleasure boats and boats leased, rented, or chartered for recreation.
What does "transient" mean for this program?
For BIG Tier 2, a transient vessel is one that is passing through and staying at a location for ten days or less.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to state governments, which the announcement defines to include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, commonwealths, and U.S. territories.
Can a marina owner, private company, or local government apply directly?
No. Private entities (such as marina owners) cannot apply directly as the primary applicant. The notice suggests that private or local partners coordinate with the relevant state agency to participate as a subgrantee or project partner.
Is a cost share or match required?
Yes. Cost sharing (matching) is required, so applicants should plan to provide non-federal match as part of the overall project financing plan.
What kinds of projects are supported under Tier 2?
Tier 2 is intended for larger-scale boating infrastructure improvements that benefit transient, nontrailerable recreational vessels, typically improvements that expand or enhance access for larger recreational boats traveling between destinations.
Which regulation governs the BIG program requirements?
The program is governed by the BIG final rule at 50 CFR 86 (published January 18, 2001, 66 FR 5282), which establishes requirements for participating in BIG.
How much funding was anticipated for FY 2011 Tier 2?
For FY 2011, USFWS anticipated awarding about $10 million nationwide for Tier 2, with an estimated 10 awards.
What is the maximum award size mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement stated that individual awards could be as large as $1.5 million.
Is there a minimum (floor) award amount?
The published award floor is $0, meaning there is no stated minimum award size. In practice, competitive proposals would typically request meaningful funding amounts.
What does prior-year award activity suggest about competitiveness?
The agency noted that in FY 2010 it awarded more than $12 million in Tier 2 grants to 10 states for 13 projects, which provides a rough sense of typical award volume and demand.
What is the Grants.gov funding opportunity number for this Tier 2 listing?
The opportunity is identified on Grants.gov as Funding Opportunity Number FWS BIG 11.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.622.
What activity categories are associated with the listing?
The activity categories listed are Community Development and Transportation.
When did the application window open and close for the posted announcement?
The posted announcement opened in May 2010 and closed on September 22, 2010. The archive date is listed as October 22, 2010.
Are there application formatting or content limits mentioned?
Yes. The FY 2011 request highlighted updates to improve consistency and reviewability, including a 20-page limit for the project narrative, expanded examples of what information to include, and a suggested order for organizing forms and supporting documents.
Can dredging be included in a Tier 2 project budget?
Yes, but the announcement clarified that dredging is capped at 10 percent of total BIG project costs (including match) per application, indicating dredging may be included but is not intended to be the dominant budget item.
How are proposals evaluated?
The announcement noted clarifications to ranking criteria and indicated that scoring and competitiveness depend on meeting the evaluation factors described in the request for applications.
What is the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 in terms of how they are posted?
The notice stated that Tier 1 is issued separately under a different Grants.gov listing (FWS BIG 11 T1), so applicants should ensure they are responding to the correct tier announcement.
Where can applicants find additional program information?
The announcement pointed to additional BIG program information hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, reflecting that this is an ongoing national grant program rather than a one-time funding event.
Who should applicants contact for questions?
The announcement lists a national program contact for general grant questions. For project-specific or application questions, it directs applicants to regional coordinators named in the request for applications attachment.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (FWS BIG 11) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier 1 Apply for FWS BIG 11 T1 Funding Number: FWS BIG 11 T1 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Community Development Transportation Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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