DARRP Restoration Implementation Grants (2026)

The principal objective of the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) Restoration Implementation Grants is for NOAA to collaborate with non-federal partners to implement marine and coastal habitat restoration and conservation in order to accomplish common goals related to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and other natural resource damages. Successful applicants will support and implement restoration activities authorized under the Oil Pollution Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Clean Water Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and other federal agencies' authorities related to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and natural resource damages, such as the RESTORE Act. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be for those capable of implementing restoration and conservation activities across a wide geographic scale. NOAA NOFO Page 2 of 26 Restoration activities may include actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries; contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species; and improve economic vitality, including local employment. Recipients will be implementing activities identified in consent decrees or natural resource damage assessment and restoration plans, and may be developing or soliciting projects to meet restoration goals. This may include recipients reviewing restoration plans and: collaborating with the trustee to select activities to be contracted or sub-awarded by the recipient; collaborating with the trustee to select projects for which the recipient has direct implementation responsibility; competition management to sub- award projects; and implementing pre- and post-restoration project evaluation and monitoring. Projects may also include restoration planning and technique development activities that further the mutual interests of DARRP and of funding recipient partners, such as environmental compliance analyses or restoration planning for potential, future incidents.

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profits, and commercial (for-profit) organizations. Applications from federal, state, or tribal governments will not be considered, due to their potential role as trustee council members. Applications from local governments will only be considered if they identify potential large scale restoration opportunities based on current or anticipated restoration plans. Applications from individuals or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Non-eligible organizations are encouraged to work with those that are eligible to apply.

Applications are reviewed based on NOAA's standard criteria which are weighted as described in specific NOFOs. These criteria include: Importance and Applicability; Technical/Scientific Merit; Overall Qualifications of Applicants; Project Costs; and Outreach and Education. For CWPPRA, the projects to be funded are selected through an annual, publicly-vetted process and ultimately approved by a multi-agency Task Force. Regardless of source, applications must undergo rigorous technical review and comply with all DOC, and NOAA grants policies and procedures.

Statutory Formula: Title Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Uniform Guidance, Part 200, Subpart C,Public Law P.L. 95-405 (Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977),.n/aStatutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing. Matching Requirements: Percent: Other Statutory formulas, if any, are specific to programs that fall under this CFDA number. Project costs are funded at up to 100 percent. Grantee matching contributions vary by specific funding opportunity. CWPPRA projects require a 15 percent match by the State of Louisiana at this time. Under the Community-based Restoration Program guidelines, matching requirements are voluntary.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2024: Examples of funded projects can be found on the Restoration Atlas website. https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/apps/restoration-atlas/