Funding Opportunities

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is committed to partnering with communities and businesses to protect natural resources and promote economic growth. DEP administers a variety of grants and loans for projects that benefit the environment and local communities.

Clean Vessel Act

• Clean Vessel Act Grant: Grants for purchase and installation of sewage pumpout facilities and pumpout boats and purchase educational programs for boaters. The program can fund up to 75% of eligible project costs associated with marina waste-handling facilities for recreational boaters. Contact: Brenda Leonard, 850-245-2847 .

Coastal Resources

• Beach Management Funding Assistance: Up to 50% of project costs available to county and municipal governments, community development districts or special taxing districts for shore protection and preservation activities on the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean or Straits of Florida. Contact: Rob Buda, 850-245-2975, Beaches_Funding@FloridaDEP.gov.
• Coastal Partnership Initiative: Competitive federal funds available to Florida’s 35 coastal counties and their municipalities that are required to include a coastal element in comprehensive plans. Florida's public colleges and universities, regional planning councils, national estuary programs and nonprofit groups may also apply for funds if an eligible local government agrees to participate as a partner. Contact: Toni Clanton, 850-245-2094.

Petroleum Cleanup

• Abandoned Tank Restoration Program: For facilities where the storage of petroleum products for consumption, use or sale ended on or before March 1, 1990. Contact:  Lewis Cornman, 850-245-8846.
• Indigent Abandoned Tank Restoration Program: For owners/responsible parties unable to pay for closure of their petroleum storage tanks. Contact: Lewis Cornman, 850-245-8846.
• Innocent Victim Petroleum Storage System Restoration: For eligible sites acquired prior to July 1, 1990, that ceased operating as a petroleum storage or retail business prior to Jan. 1, 1995. Contact: Lewis Cornman, 850-245-8846.
• Petroleum Cleanup Participation Program: Cost-share program for sites contaminated by discharges of petroleum or petroleum products from a petroleum storage system occurring before Jan. 1, 1995. Contact: Lewis Cornman, 850-245-8846.
• Advanced Cleanup: For limited site cleanup in advance of priority ranking of sites eligible for restoration funding under the Early Detection Incentive, Abandoned Tank Restoration, Petroleum Liability and Restoration Insurance, or Petroleum Cleanup Participation programs. Contact: Grant Willis, 850-245-8886.
• Performance Based Cleanup: Payments are based upon measured progress toward reaching the cleanup goal and require successful completion of tasks and milestones. Contact: Grant Willis, 850-245-8886.
• Low-Scored Site Initiative: Voluntary program with limited funding intended to bring discharges at low-scored (scored < 30 points) sites to closure. Contact: Graham Witt, 850-222-6446, ext. 260, or Felicia Mizener, 850-245-8893.
• Site Rehabilitation Funding Allocation: Mechanism to combine cleanup efforts when a new ineligible discharge occurs and is mingled with pre-existing contamination that has been determined eligible for state-funded cleanup. Contact: Lewis Cornman, 850-245-8846.

Recreation and Conservation

• Florida Communities Trust: The Parks and Open Space Florida Forever Grant Program and the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts Florida Forever Grant Program provide funding to local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations to acquire land for parks, open space, greenways, and projects supporting the state’s seafood harvesting and aquaculture industries. Contact: FloridaCommunitiesTrust@FloridaDEP.gov, 850-245-2501.
• Florida Recreation Development Assistance: State competitive grant program helps local governments acquire and/or develop land for public outdoor recreation. The maximum grant request is $200,000. Contact: Linda Reeves, 850-245-2501.
• Land and Water Conservation Fund: Federal competitive grant program helps local governments acquire or develop land for public outdoor recreation. The matching ratio is one applicant dollar to one federal dollar for all grant awards (50%/50%). The maximum grant request is $200,000. Contact: Linda Reeves, 850-245-2501.
• Recreational Trails Program: Competitive grant program for projects that provide, renovate or maintain motorized and nonmotorized recreational trails, trail heads and trailside facilities. Eligible applicants include local governments, state or federal agencies, federally recognized Indian tribal governments and certain nonprofit organizations. All grant awards must be matched. Contact: Tara Reynolds, 850-245-2501.

Waste Management

• Cooperative Collection Center Arrangement Grant: Up to $35,000 per grant to reimburse 75% (with a $25,000 limit) of a smaller county's collection event. The host county, experienced in hazardous waste collections, is reimbursed up to $10,000 for assisting the neighboring county in holding its collection. Contact: Lindsey Bradley Brown, 850-245-8977.
• Hazardous Waste Collection Center Grant: Up to $100,000 per county for constructing one or more safe, secure, operational hazardous waste collection centers.Contact: Lindsey Bradley Brown, 850-245-8977.
• Grants to Reimburse Expenses Associated with Local Hazardous Waste Management: For counties that have established operational permanent facilities under the Hazardous Waste Collection Center Grant but have received funding less than their $100,000 limit. Contact: Lindsey Bradley Brown, 850-245-8977.
• Small Quantity Hazardous Waste Generator: Grants to help local governments carry out responsibilities and programs specified in 403.7225, 403.7226, 403.7234, 403.7236 and 403.7238, F.S. Includes local hazardous waste management assessments, SQG notification and verification program, and expanded local hazardous waste management programs. Contact: Jeff Gregg, 850-245-8816.
• Unique or Innovative Project Grants: Up to $50,000 per grant with the county providing a 25% match. Funding is available only to counties operating permanent hazardous waste collection centers and is in addition to Hazardous Waste Collection Center and Cooperative Collection Center Arrangement Grants. Contact: Lindsey Bradley Brown, 850-245-8977.

Water Quality and Restoration

• Section 319(h): Federally funded grant for projects that address nonpoint source pollution. Projects/programs must benefit Florida’s priority watersheds; local sponsors must provide at least a 40% match. Contact: Kate Merchant, 850-245-2952.
• TMDL Water Quality Restoration: State legislative funding for projects that reduce pollutant loads to impaired waters from urban stormwater discharges. Applicant provides a minimum of 50% of the total project cost in matching funds, of which at least 25% are provided by the local government. Contact: Kate Merchant, 850-245-2952.
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund: Low-interest loans for planning, designing and constructing water pollution control facilities. Small, disadvantaged communities may qualify for grants. Contact: Tim Banks, 850-245-2969.
  • Small Community Wastewater Construction Grants: For small communities and wastewater authorities for planning, designing and building wastewater management facilities. Must be a municipality, county or authority with total population of 10,000 or less and a per capita income less than the state of Florida average PCI. Must accompany a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan. Contact: Tim Banks, 850-245-2969.
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: Low-interest loans for planning, designing and constructing public water facilities. Small community assistance is available for those with populations less than 10,000. Contact: Shanin Speas-Frost, 850-245-2991.
• Deepwater Horizon: Projects considered for funding under the RESTORE Act, Natural Resource Damage Assessment Restoration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.