Buzzards Bay Watershed Infrastructure and Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan Support Grants, FY2027 Round 5
Applications are due December 8, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (NEP) are seeking municipal applications for financial assistance to restore water quality, coastal habitat, and living resources in the Buzzards Bay watershed. This is an applicant-facing government grant solicitation, even though its announcement is hosted in the Massachusetts COMMBUYS grants section; it is not an ordinary vendor contract or request to sell government services.
Individual grants versus program funding
The FY2027 Round 5 announcement identifies $748,001 in total program funding from federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act resources. The maximum individual grant award is $375,000. A municipality may apply for multiple projects but may receive no more than two grants totaling up to $400,000 per municipality. These applicant ceilings must not be confused with the $748,001 overall funding pool. The program states no mandatory match is required.
Eligible applicant organizations and locations
The direct applicant and recipient must be an eligible municipality in the Buzzards Bay watershed. The listed municipalities are Fall River, Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Rochester, Mattapoisett, Marion, Wareham, Middleborough, Carver, Plymouth, Bourne, Falmouth, and Gosnold. Proposed projects must principally lie within or materially benefit water quality or habitat in the Buzzards Bay watershed. Nonmunicipal organizations may participate as project partners, subcontractors, or other permitted collaborators, but cannot replace the municipality as direct grantee.
Eligible activities and significant restrictions
Projects must implement a recommendation from the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The program identifies eligible activities such as stormwater facility design and construction, certain Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) compliance improvements beyond ordinary maintenance, innovative wastewater nutrient reduction, wetland and coastal habitat restoration, fish passage improvement, boating pump-out infrastructure, innovative septic-system tracking, nitrogen and bacteria pollution reduction, and eligible land preservation. Routine maintenance and replacement of existing infrastructure do not qualify merely because they concern water quality. All expenditures must meet the controlling Request for Proposals and federal funding conditions, and the state also considers compliance with applicable MBTA Communities law.
Application instructions
The official solicitation is COMMBUYS BD-27-1042-CZM-ENV40-134574 (posted October 19, 2026). Applicants must use the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs online Grant Management System, create and verify a business profile, and upload all application materials. No email or paper applications are accepted. The portal closes on December 8, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.; the official program announcement does not state an explicit deadline time zone. Applicants should establish a portal account before the deadline to avoid delays.
Official sources and application-document check
Read the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program’s current Round 5 funding guidance and official COMMBUYS solicitation and attached Request for Proposals. Research checked October 30, 2026. Applicants must review the controlling Round 5 Request for Proposals and any amendments for complete budget categories, award conditions, and application attachments before submitting; the full attached RFP file was not independently available in this review.