An abandoned and derelict vessel submerged in a marina.

FY25 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Applicant Resources

The NOAA Marine Debris Program will award up to $47 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the removal of large marine debris throughout the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and Freely Associated States. These removal projects should focus on large marine debris, including abandoned and derelict vessels, derelict fishing gear, and other debris that is generally unable to be collected by hand.

Important Application Deadlines:

An informational webinar on the FY25 Marine Debris Removal Funding Opportunity through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law occurred on August 7, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The NOAA Marine Debris Program will provided an overview of the priorities of this competition, submission process, as well as application resources. See below for the webinar recording and supplemental resources.

Required Letter of Intent Deadline: September 27, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time THE LOI DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR APPLICANTS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE UNTIL OCT 4TH. AFFECTED APPLICANTS UNABLE TO MEET THIS NEW DEADLINE MAY REACH OUT TO GRANTS.MARINEDEBRIS@NOAA.GOV.

Full Proposal Deadline: January 31, 2025*

*Full proposals will only be accepted from applicants that received an invitation to submit a full proposal following review of the letters of intent

The information below is intended to assist applicants in applying for funding through the Fiscal Year 2025 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The NOAA Marine Debris Program recognizes applying for federal funding can be complex and has provided resources to support applicants in preparing to submit a strong proposal and understanding the requirements needed if an award is granted. Many of these documents are referenced in our Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Step 1: Review the Notice of Funding Opportunity

While it is important to read the entire Funding Opportunity before you submit your application to ensure you didn’t miss any important application and/or submission details, in your first review of the NOFO we suggest you review a few specific sections to ensure you will be able to submit a competitive application:

  • Review the Program Objective and Program Priorities. These sections will help you understand if the idea you are proposing fits within the goals of this competition
  • Review the evaluation criteria to ensure your project idea will be able to satisfy the criteria reviewers will use when evaluating your proposal. Proposals that strongly meet all of the evaluation criteria will be the most competition
  • Review the eligibility criteria to ensure you are an eligible applicant 

Please see our Notice of Funding Opportunity Guidance Document for more information.

Step 2: Before starting an application, please review the current NOAA-MDP funded BIL removal projects from past competitions to ensure the project ideas you are proposing are not duplicative of similar removal projects in current project locations.

 

Step 3: Carefully review the Application Content section and re-review the competition priorities to prepare your proposal.

The following resources may be helpful in creating your application.

Resources for Preparing an Application for the Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity:

Informational Applicant Webinar Resources

An informational webinar on the FY25 Marine Debris Removal Funding Opportunity through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law occurred on August 7, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The NOAA Marine Debris Program provided an overview of the priorities of this competition,  submission process, as well as application resources.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Resources

The Notice of Funding Opportunity provides instructions and all relevant information for preparing your application. The guidance document and evaluation criteria are designed to assist applicants in understanding the Notice of Funding Opportunity, but all applicants must read the Notice of Funding Opportunity itself to understand the full requirements for submitting an application.

Project Narrative Resources

These resources provide examples of requirements in a grant application.

Budget Resources

A well-thought out and well-presented budget is critical to communicating the activities and goals of your project. Applicants are encouraged to utilize the below information in crafting the proposal budget.

Resources for Other Application Components

As part of the application process to the NOAA Marine Debris Program, applicants are required to develop (and submit with their application) a Data Management Plan that describes how the public can access data generated by NOAA-funded activities. Additionally, strong applications will include letters of support from partners and impacted areas of the proposed project activities.

Terms and Conditions

Below are examples of some of the Terms and Conditions that must be adhered to in order to receive federal financial assistance from NOAA Marine Debris Program. Please note these are provided as examples and the terms and conditions placed on a NOAA award may differ from those indicated here.

Last updated Thu, 09/26/2024 - 02:28 pm EDT

Funding Opportunities