FY26 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Assessment Coalition Grants) | EPA OLEM OBLR 25 05

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA OLEM OBLR 25 05

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (under EPA OLEM), is offering FY26 Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grants to help communities identify, evaluate, and plan for the reuse of brownfield properties. Brownfields are generally properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of contamination. This opportunity is meant to move communities from uncertainty to actionable redevelopment by funding the early-stage work that clarifies environmental conditions and supports informed cleanup and reuse decisions.

EPA expects to make about 39 awards nationwide using a total funding pool of $58.7 million. The funding is provided as cooperative agreements (not simple pass-through grants), which typically means recipients should expect substantial EPA involvement during the project period, such as coordination on work plans, reporting, and programmatic oversight. The maximum award amount (ceiling) listed for a single cooperative agreement is $1,500,000. The program falls under CFDA/Assistance Listing 66.818 and is categorized as an environmental discretionary funding opportunity.

The core purpose of Assessment Grants is to fund the groundwork needed to get brownfield sites ready for cleanup and redevelopment. Supported activities include building or updating an inventory of potential brownfield sites, prioritizing which sites should be addressed first, and carrying out community engagement so residents and stakeholders can shape redevelopment outcomes. The grants also support planning activities, environmental site assessments, development of site-specific cleanup plans, and creation of reuse plans that map out practical end uses for properties once barriers are understood and addressed. A key program requirement is that some portion of the funds must be used specifically to conduct site assessments, reinforcing that this funding is not only for planning but also for generating on-the-ground environmental data that reduces uncertainty for future cleanup and investment.

What makes this opportunity distinct is the “coalition” structure. Instead of a single applicant acting only for itself, the Assessment Coalition Grant is designed around a lead eligible entity that partners with two to four additional eligible entities. The intent is to reach communities that otherwise would not benefit from EPA Brownfields resources because they lack the staffing, technical capability, or administrative capacity to apply for and manage an EPA cooperative agreement on their own. In practice, the lead entity functions as the primary applicant and grant manager and helps ensure that coalition members can participate meaningfully and receive assessment support that would be difficult to obtain independently.

Eligibility is summarized in the listing as “Others,” but the controlling details are in Section 2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Because coalition eligibility and partner requirements can be specific (for example, what types of local governments, quasi-governmental entities, tribes, or nonprofits qualify, and what documentation is needed), applicants are expected to rely on the NOFO for definitive eligibility rules, partnership structure requirements, and application instructions.

Key administrative details provided include the opportunity number (EPA OLEM OBLR 25 05), the original application deadline (January 28, 2026), and the posting timeframe (created November 20, 2025). Overall, the opportunity is aimed at helping under-resourced communities and their partners take concrete steps toward revitalizing contaminated or potentially contaminated properties by funding inventories, community-driven planning, environmental assessments, and practical cleanup and reuse planning that can unlock future remediation and redevelopment.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY26 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Assessment Coalition Grants)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.818.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-11-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 39 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for EPA OLEM OBLR 25 05

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