FY26 Guidelines for Brownfield Multipurpose (MP) Grants

The Brownfield Multipurpose (MP) Grant program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR), provides communities with the opportunity to address environmental contamination at brownfield sites through a flexible and comprehensive funding approach. Authorized under Section 104(k)(4) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the program aims to empower local governments, tribes, and nonprofit organizations to carry out environmental site assessments, cleanup, and planning activities to support community revitalization. The program supports EPA’s broader mission of restoring contaminated land and fostering clean, healthy, and economically vibrant communities. Brownfield Multipurpose Grants are designed for applicants that have identified a specific target area with one or more brownfield sites requiring environmental attention and revitalization. The grants support a range of eligible activities such as conducting inventories, prioritizing sites, community involvement, environmental site assessments, cleanup and reuse planning, and actual site remediation. Each award may total up to $1,000,000 with no required cost share or match, and the total funding available under the FY26 opportunity is $20 million. Notably, recipients must own any site they intend to remediate and cannot issue subawards to other property owners for remediation efforts. These awards will be made as cooperative agreements, allowing for substantial EPA involvement during the project period, which is expected to last five years. The application process is competitive, with eligibility open to a broad array of governmental and qualified nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants include general-purpose local governments, redevelopment agencies, states, tribes (excluding most Alaska tribes), nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, and community development entities. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet all threshold criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including community involvement plans, site ownership, and confirmation that funds will be used for at least one Phase II assessment and one site remediation. Applications that fail to meet the threshold criteria or submission requirements will be disqualified from consideration. To apply, applicants must submit a full application package through Grants.gov by the deadline of January 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Required components include the SF-424, SF-424A, project narrative (12-page limit), application information sheet (3-page limit), budget table, and documentation of eligibility. The project narrative must address criteria such as project area description, community need, task descriptions, outputs and outcomes, and programmatic capability. Optional documents may include the lobbying form and indirect cost rate agreement. All application materials must be submitted in English and comply with formatting requirements outlined in the NOFO. Applications will be reviewed and scored based on a comprehensive evaluation framework. This includes criteria such as the clarity of the target area description, the significance of brownfield challenges, feasibility and community benefits of the revitalization plan, and demonstrated capacity to manage the grant. Preference is given to projects that allocate at least 70% of funds toward site-specific work, with 25% minimum allocated for remediation tasks. Applicants may also be evaluated on factors such as support for environmental justice, site reuse potential for renewable energy or climate resilience, and whether they serve economically distressed or underserved communities. Award notifications are anticipated in June 2026, with cooperative agreements finalized by September 2026. Recipients are required to comply with EPA’s reporting and programmatic requirements, including environmental and administrative compliance, quarterly progress reports, and performance evaluations. The program also enforces Buy America requirements for infrastructure-related expenditures. The EPA has made regional and technical contacts available to assist applicants, including a program email ([email protected]) and contact listings for each EPA region. This grant opportunity is recurring and applicants who are not successful or miss the current cycle may have future chances to apply.

Focus budget on site-specific tasks (≥70%) with ≥25% toward remediation; ensure community involvement; demonstrate clear site reuse strategy and prior performance if applicable