Environmental Protection Agency
Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Oct 15, 2026 · 7 days left
- Award size
- Up to $7.8M
- Total available
- $10.8M · about 15 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Rhea County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Only 7 days left to apply
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/334a82d8-874c-410e-97c4-c4971d65abc2 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/b1f3f0b8-4101-415c-8e0c-20b209353a2c
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
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About this grant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1459E to accelerate career pipelines in the water utilities sector and provide access to water utility workforce opportunities. This action advances the Administration’s priorities, including the goals of Make America Healthy Again, by focusing on building the nation’s water workforce which is critical to ensuring public health and environment protection. Consistent with the law, this action will help inform people about the role of water and wastewater utilities in their communities and increase the awareness of water utility career opportunities.
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and elevating public awareness about jobs in the water workforce. Eligible applicants under this funding opportunity are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations, and public works departments and agencies. Eligible activities include apprenticeship and internship programs, education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, regional industry collaborations, and training programs designed to support decentralized workforce. Efforts should aim for measurable results and clearly show tangible benefits for water systems and communities. The proposed activities support the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative’s Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. Examples include training individuals through an apprenticeship program and placing them into water sector jobs, training individuals for industry accreditation, and developing collaborations with community colleges, technical schools, utilities to address the water utility employment needs.
Who can apply, from the official notice
See Section 2 of the full announcement for eligibility information.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct8
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Sep24
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment (already past: do it now)
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Oct8
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Oct13
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Oct15
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Rhea County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice EPA-OW-OWM-26-03_-Innovative_Water_Workforce__Final_2.pdf (28 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Registrations you need first (2)
Grants.gov · p. 5
“Grants.gov: support@grants.gov; 1-800-518-4726 Note to Applicants:” Open page 5
SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 21
“Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov.” Open page 21
The deadline is in 7 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Get-ready checklist
Steps before the deadline
Informational webinar · p. 4
“September 14, 2026 11:59 pm ET NOFO Questions Submission Deadline September 22, 2026 2:00 pm ET Informational Webinar B.” Open page 4
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 7
“Applicants who propose voluntary cost share must include the costs/contributions on the SF-424, SF-424A Budget Information form, and Budget Detail.” Open page 7
Form SF-424A · p. 7
“Applicants who propose voluntary cost share must include the costs/contributions on the SF-424, SF-424A Budget Information form, and Budget Detail.” Open page 7
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 18
“The workplan must address the following sections, for a more detailed description of each section please refer to Section 3.B of this NOFO. i.” Open page 18
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 19
“A biographical sketch must be submitted for each major project manager, support staff member or other major project participant.” Open page 19
Length limits
Page limit (see quote): 20 pages max · p. 17
“Additional pages beyond the 20-page limit will not be considered.” Open page 17
Formatting rules
single-spaced · p. 17
“The Project Narrative is limited to no more than twenty (20) typewritten, single spaced 8.5x11-inch pages (a page is one side of a piece of paper) including the cover page and executive summary.” Open page 17
12-point font, 1-inch margins · p. 17
“It is recommended that applicants use a standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.” Open page 17
How applications are scored (Scores listed: 25 of 100 points)
Check the official notice for the rest of the points.
Review Criteria Points Evaluation Criteria: 25 points · p. 23
“Review Criteria Points Evaluation Criteria (25 points) 1) Project Area Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability and approach for effectively addressing the Project Area in Section 3.A.(1) of the NOFO that the application…” Open page 23
Dates in the notice
September 14, 2026 · p. 4
“September 14, 2026 11:59 pm ET NOFO Questions Submission Deadline September 22, 2026 2:00 pm ET Informational Webinar B.” Open page 4
October 15, 2026 · p. 5
“October 15, 2026 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline January 2027 Anticipated Notification of Selection April 2027 Anticipated Award Notification D.” Open page 5
Mistakes that get applications rejected (8)
Could get your application rejected: Applications that address more than one Project Area will not be reviewed. · p. 7
“Applications that address more than one Project Area will not be reviewed.” Open page 7
Missing a required part: Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set... · p. 7
“Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4 of this announcement or else they will be rejected.” Open page 7
Over the length limit: Additional pages beyond the 20-page limit will not be considered. · p. 17
“Additional pages beyond the 20-page limit will not be considered.” Open page 17
Could get your application rejected: (If an applicant submits more than one application it will be rejected.); and iv. · p. 17
“(If an applicant submits more than one application it will be rejected.); and iv.” Open page 17
Not an eligible applicant: If not, the application may be deemed ineligible. · p. 22
“If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.” Open page 22
Late or not validated: Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible... · p. 22
“Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.” Open page 22
Not an eligible applicant: Applicants not meeting these requirements will be deemed ineligible and will be notified within 15... · p. 22
“Applicants not meeting these requirements will be deemed ineligible and will be notified within 15 calendar days of the determination.” Open page 22
Over the length limit: Any pages over the limit(s) in Section 4 will not be reviewed. · p. 22
“Any pages over the limit(s) in Section 4 will not be reviewed.” Open page 22
About the federal program
Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program (SDWA 1459E)
Program number 66.445 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · Environmental Protection Agency · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement)
How applications are judged
In each year's official notice: read this year's.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2025: Developed a regional water and wastewater workforce collaborative to address regional workforce needs. Provide training and a clear career path for future water and wastewater operators in secondary education/career tech, through community college, and on to possible apprenticeships, internships, or bachelor�s degree programs. Recruited future operators through targeted and innovative approaches (both in-person and virtual, such as job fairs, billboards, live streaming, social media, and push notifications). Placed qualified program participants into internships and operator in training positions with local utilities. Created a network of career and guidance counselors will be supported by a toolkit of resources to employ when encouraging students to explore careers in water and wastewater treatment. The toolkit will inform career and guidance counselors of the needs and requirements for water utility positions, assist them in sharing information with students, and connect them with local utilities that may be seeking interns or be willing to engage in additional education opportunities for students such as treatment facility tours, job shadowing, or focused...