Opportunity Overview
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Superior Coastal Program is accepting 2026 Small Grants: STAR applications for short-term projects in Minnesota’s Lake Superior coastal area. The program is administered by Minnesota DNR with federal Coastal Zone Management Act funding through NOAA.
Funding and Deadlines
Applicants may request $4,501 to $10,000. Approximately $60,000 is available across the 2026 STAR rounds. Round 2 applications are due October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Round 3 applications are due January 5, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Match
A non-federal match equal to 20% of the requested grant amount is required and may be cash, in-kind, or a combination. For example, a $10,000 request requires at least $2,000 in non-federal match.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include area-wide agencies such as county or regional bodies, colleges and universities, conservation districts, joint powers boards, local governments, nonprofits, port authorities, public school districts, sanitary sewer districts, Minnesota state government agencies other than DNR, and Tribal Nations or organizations. Projects must be located in the Lake Superior coastal area, on public non-federal land, or be immediately adjacent and provide substantial benefit to the coastal area. Applicants must satisfy applicable UEI, Minnesota vendor-registration, good-standing, and debarment requirements.
Eligible Project Categories
STAR supports planning, outreach, conferences or training, technology projects such as software, GPS, databases and modeling tools, and youth education. Projects are intended to be short, approximately six months.
Application and Review
Applications are submitted by email to the Lake Superior Coastal Program and must include the current STAR Application Form, Exhibit A project description, Exhibit B budget, Exhibit C map, and any applicable optional or supporting exhibits. Selection considers planning, process, outcomes, alignment, and limited bonus factors related to Tribal participation, cultural and historical heritage, and direct Lake Superior ecosystem impact.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 58/100. The opportunity is legitimate and fully current, but its small award ceiling and environmental focus limit strategic value for ordinary Atlas healthcare work. N9+ Fit: 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. Dr. Miltie, LLC is not advanced as a direct applicant. Applicant-specific outreach should occur only after a specific eligible organization, project, verified business contact, opt-out and bounce controls, and exact-opportunity deduplication are cleared.