FY26 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-wide Assessment Grants)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, is offering funding for Community-wide Brownfield Assessment Grants under the funding opportunity number EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-25-04. These grants aim to support communities in addressing brownfield sites, which are properties where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum, or mine-scarred lands. The grants are intended to help communities identify, prioritize, assess, and plan for the reuse of these sites, with a particular emphasis on stimulating economic revitalization and protecting public health and the environment. Eligible applicants include a broad array of governmental entities and nonprofit organizations, including general purpose units of local government, land clearance authorities, state-created entities, regional councils, redevelopment agencies, states, federally recognized tribes (with limited exceptions for Alaska), Alaska Native Corporations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and certain limited liability corporations and partnerships with nonprofit management. The EPA emphasizes inclusivity and equitable community development, particularly in areas disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation, economic disinvestment, and health disparities. Applicants must pass specific threshold criteria, such as demonstrating community involvement, eligibility status, and appropriate expenditure of existing EPA funds, if applicable. Each grant provides up to $500,000 in federal funding, with a total estimated program budget of $35 million and approximately 70 awards anticipated. Matching funds are not required, and voluntary cost sharing is not permitted. Funds may be used for site inventory, community engagement, environmental site assessments, development of cleanup plans, and reuse planning. Certain costs, such as those related to administration (capped at 5%), participant support, and health monitoring, are also allowable. However, cleanup activities, lobbying, penalties, and unallowable costs under federal regulations are explicitly excluded. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM ET on January 28, 2026. No pre-application is required. The EPA anticipates notifying selected applicants by June 2026 and issuing awards by September 2026. The project period for awarded grants is four years. Application components include an SF-424, budget forms, EPA compliance documents, a narrative limited to 10 pages, and specific attachments demonstrating eligibility, community involvement, and contractor/subrecipient disclosures if applicable. Evaluation criteria emphasize the clarity and impact of the proposed project, the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of activities, the applicant’s programmatic and administrative capacity, and the degree of community engagement and need. Additional considerations during selection include geographic distribution, environmental justice priorities, reuse planning integration, and the applicant’s history of managing EPA or other federal grants. Questions can be directed to regional contacts or to the national program inbox at brownfields@epa.gov.

Align reuse strategies with local plans; prioritize strong community engagement; clearly define outputs/outcomes; avoid ineligible activities; justify costs.