Native American Affairs: Emergency Drought Relief for Tribes Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Section 80004

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is offering funding through the Native American Affairs: Emergency Drought Relief for Tribes Program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Section 80004. This program, managed by Reclamation’s Native American and International Affairs Office (NAIAO), aims to provide emergency drought relief to federally recognized Indian Tribes within the 17 western states impacted by the operation of a Reclamation water project. The total available funding is $9 million, with anticipated awards ranging from $50,000 to $2 million across approximately ten awards. The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to support Tribes in developing, managing, and protecting their water and related resources to mitigate the adverse effects of drought. Eligible projects should address near-term drought relief efforts, such as mitigating drought impacts, increasing drought resiliency, reducing reliance on declining water sources, improving water delivery efficiency, restoring Tribal trust resources, or resolving drinking water shortages. The funding can be used for infrastructure projects and activities compliant with the Buy America preferences per 2 CFR Part 184. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to federally recognized Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, as defined in 25 U.S.C. §5304, located in the 17 western states defined in the Reclamation Act of 1902 (as amended): Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Projects must directly address drought impacts resulting from the operations of Reclamation water projects. Applicants with enacted Indian Water Rights Settlements must identify them in the application and may be deemed ineligible. Applications must be submitted by October 14, 2025, no later than 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The application must include forms SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-LLL (if applicable), a project abstract summary, a 10-page technical proposal narrative, and a detailed budget narrative. The technical narrative should include a project summary, background, problem statement, proposed activities, environmental and cultural considerations, and expected outcomes. Submissions can be made via Grants.gov, email, or physical mail. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and Grants.gov with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Applications will undergo a multi-phase review process that includes eligibility screening, technical merit review by an Application Review Committee (ARC), risk review, and managerial prioritization. Evaluation criteria include demonstration of project need (30 points), project benefits (30 points), and project implementation readiness (30 points). Projects must demonstrate the ability to proceed promptly following the award and show alignment with program objectives. For eligibility and application inquiries, applicants may contact Courtney Mathews, Native American Affairs Advisor, at cmathews@usbr.gov or 541-887-9107. Additional regional contacts are provided for specific states. For submission questions, applicants may email bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov. The anticipated project start date is March 10, 2026, with an end date of March 10, 2028. Reclamation expects to notify applicants of funding decisions in early 2026.

Copying and pasting the Evaluation Criteria into your application is suggested to ensure all necessary details are addressed. Ensure SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations are complete early.