OPEN: New York DEC 2026 Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Round 2 competitive applicant grant, deadline November 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. NYS SFS Vendor Portal Bid Event CoRe 2026. Nonprofit applicants must already be prequalified by submission.
New York 2026 Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Round 2 — $300,000–$3,000,000 (November 4)
New York DEC CoRe Round 2 provides $300,000 to $3,000,000 per eligible applicant for urban forest restoration and reforestation. The $20 million total program pool is not an individual award. Apply by November 4, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time through SFS; nonprofit applicants must be prequalified.
FundingIndividual applicant grant requests must be $300,000 to $3,000,000. Approximately $20,000,000 total program funding for CoRe Round 2 is NOT an individual award. Up to $4,000,000 is available for NYS agencies; $16,000,000 for other eligible applicants, including up to $4,000,000 for smaller $300,000 to $500,000 projects. No match required; reimbursable expenses, with possible nonprofit advance up to 25%.
DeadlineWednesday, November 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Official DEC program page and RFA timetable agree; DEC FAQ updated October 28 explicitly corrects erroneous November 15 date shown on RFA cover.
Last verified2026-11-01
Required next actionRead NYS DEC official CoRe Round 2 funding page https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/urban-and-community-forestry/managing-your-community-forest/urban-community-forestry-grants and controlling amended RFA https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/coregrantr2rfa.pdf plus Oct 28 updated FAQ https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/coregrantfaq.pdf . Locate SFS Grants Management Vendor Portal Bid Event CoRe 2026; check applicant and land eligibility map, registration and nonprofit prequalification, complete itemized budget, work plan, project timeline, practice template, ownership/partner authorizations, and certifications. Submit by 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday Nov 4 2026; disregard erroneous Nov 15 cover date, corrected by FAQ.
Broad Eligibility
Eligible: New York municipalities, school districts and specified local government entities, soil and water conservation districts, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, 501(c)(13) nonprofit cemeteries, recognized New York Indian nations and tribes, and NYS agencies. Sites must satisfy DEC CoRe eligibility map and property/public-access conditions, with tribal-map provisions. Individuals/unincorporated groups may not directly apply; eligible fiscal sponsor permitted. SFS prequalification mandatory for nonprofit bidders by due date.
Atlas Analysis
Official-source full research October 31, 2026: reviewed 67-page New York DEC amended CoRe Round 2 RFA dated September 4, and updated October 28 FAQ, plus current DEC Urban and Community Forestry Grants program page. Correct grant deadline November 4 2026 2 p.m. ET; FAQ says November 15 on RFA cover was error (RFA timetable and DEC website both confirm Nov 4). Applicant request $300,000-$3,000,000; $20m overall pool not per award; up to $4m reserved state agencies; $4m among non-state available for projects $300k-$500k. Municipalities and local authorities incl school districts, SWCDs, 501c3 nonprofits, 501c13 nonprofit cemeteries, recognized NY tribal entities and state agencies; geography and public-access limitations. Nonprofit SFS prequalification by deadline is a hard requirement. No required match; reimbursement, nonprofit advance up to 25%, project admin ceiling 20% of award, up to 5 year award term. Eligible reforestation, restoration, vegetation control, deer protection, project staff/technical contractors/supplies; no precontract costs, unrelated equipment/services, ineligible private locations or isolated ornamental planting. SFS GM bid event CoRe 2026; detailed work plan, project budget, practice template, map/site evidence, letters, certifications. Genuine competitive applicant assistance despite Bid/RFA terminology; not procurement. Duplicate checks against published and pending grant titles/content, exact source and identifier before creation found no match. Source https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/coregrantr2rfa.pdf ; FAQ https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/coregrantfaq.pdf . This record Pending Review: do not equate preliminary QA/approval with public publication. Existing protected approval process must authorize release.
New York 2026 Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant, Round 2
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is accepting competitive applications for projects that create, expand, and restore forested natural areas in or near urban communities. This is an applicant-facing state grant, not government purchasing or vendor procurement. Funding comes from New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
Applicant funding and deadline
Individual award requests: $300,000 to $3,000,000. Approximately $20,000,000 is available program-wide, not per applicant. Within the overall funding, up to $4,000,000 is reserved for state agencies and up to $4,000,000 of the non-state allocation supports smaller projects requesting $300,000 to $500,000.
Application deadline: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. DEC’s updated October 28 Questions and Answers explicitly correct an incorrect November 15 date that appears on the RFA cover. Follow the November 4 deadline confirmed by the program webpage, RFA timetable, and FAQ.
Who may apply
Eligible New York entities include municipalities and other specified local public agencies (including school districts), soil and water conservation districts, federally or state-recognized Indian nations or tribes with qualifying New York reservations, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, 501(c)(13) nonprofit cemeteries, and New York State agencies. Individuals and unincorporated groups cannot directly apply, although an eligible fiscal sponsor may apply.
Project sites must generally lie within the official CoRe eligibility-map area on nonfederal public land or privately owned land accessible to the public, including certain preserves and cemeteries; qualifying tribal reservation land has special eligibility provisions. Applicants must verify sites against the official map and RFA rules. Nonprofit applicants must be registered and fully prequalified in New York’s Statewide Financial System (SFS) by the submission deadline or their applications will be disqualified.
Eligible projects, costs, and payment
Eligible work includes afforestation and reforestation, forest-stand restoration, competing-vegetation management, tree establishment and protection (including eligible deer-exclusion measures), related site preparation, approved staff and professional services, and qualifying project supplies. Project budgets must follow the RFA’s detailed practice and reimbursement rules; standalone ornamental landscaping, unrelated property work, precontract costs, and non-project expenses do not qualify.
No matching funds are required. Payment is generally reimbursement of eligible documented expenses; nonprofits may be eligible for advance payments of up to 25% of their award. Administrative costs cannot exceed 20% of the grant amount, and projects must be achievable within the defined contract term of up to five years.
How to apply
Read the amended controlling 67-page CoRe Round 2 RFA and the October 28 CoRe Round 2 FAQ. Apply through the New York State SFS Grants Management Vendor Portal, Bid Event CoRe 2026. Applicants need the appropriate SFS roles and an itemized grant budget, work plan, project site and eligibility information, CoRe practice template, timeline, supporting documentation, and required certifications. One application per lead organization is permitted and may include multiple eligible project sites. Check the full RFA for landowner authorization, partner letters when applicable, and detailed technical requirements.
Official source: New York DEC Urban and Community Forestry Grants. Research verified October 31, 2026.
Source verificationOfficial government source · dec.ny.govAtlas last verified this record 2026-11-01. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
