The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting applications for F26AS00051, FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program Funding Opportunity Announcement. The program provides Federal cost-sharing awards for proactive conservation projects benefiting species of greatest conservation need and their habitats, with priority on implementation of State and Territory Wildlife Action Plans.
Application Deadline
September 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applicants must follow the controlling federal electronic-submission instructions and maintain required SAM.gov, UEI, Login.gov, Grants.gov, and GrantSolutions registrations and access as applicable.
Funding
FWS lists $7,612,000 in estimated total program funding and approximately 16 expected awards. The published award floor is $50,000 and the overall Federal award ceiling is $1,000,000. Award tiers cap the Federal share at $250,000, $500,000, $750,000, or $1,000,000 depending on the required partnership structure.
Eligibility
Only State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and the four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies, NEAFWA, SEAFWA, MAFWA, and WAFWA, are eligible to apply directly. Academic institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, private landowners, individuals, local governments, and other entities are not eligible as prime applicants, although qualifying organizations may participate as partners under an eligible applicant.
Cost Share
Cost sharing is required. For eligible recipients in the continental States, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, the Federal share may not exceed 75 percent of total project cost, requiring at least 25 percent non-Federal cost share. The match is waived for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Third-party cash and qualifying in-kind contributions may satisfy match requirements when documented under the controlling federal rules.
Project and Partnership Requirements
Projects must benefit one or more species of greatest conservation need or their habitats identified in an applicable Wildlife Action Plan, or satisfy the announcement’s requirements for an emerging wildlife issue. Award tiers impose increasing active-partner requirements. Wildlife education, recreation, outreach, and law-enforcement activities are generally ineligible except as limited incidental components necessary to project success, and applicable education/outreach and law-enforcement costs may not exceed 10 percent of total project cost.
Application Package
The controlling announcement requires the current federal application forms and supporting documents, including SF-424, Project Abstract Summary, Project Narrative, applicable budget forms, Budget Narrative, indirect-cost information, audit and overlap/duplication statements, and additional real-property, lobbying, partnership, or commitment documentation when applicable. The Project Narrative is limited to 15 pages and the complete application to 50 pages, subject to the exclusions and instructions in the NOFO.
Atlas Fit
This is a state-led wildlife-conservation opportunity. Dr. Miltie is not eligible as a direct prime. Organization-specific execution should be routed immediately to applicable state pathways for eligible fish and wildlife agencies or qualifying regional associations with current Wildlife Action Plan priorities and the required match and partnership structure. Because the application deadline is September 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, the 48-hour new-outreach cutoff begins after September 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Existing timely applicant work may continue subject to the controlling federal requirements.