The FY 2024–2025 Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), aims to expand partnerships that protect and restore Minnesota’s water resources. The initiative is supported by appropriations outlined in Minnesota statutes from 2023 and 2024, which allocate a total of $3 million to this grant program over two fiscal years. This funding is part of the Clean Water Fund established under Minnesota Statutes 114D.50, derived from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, which mandates the protection and enhancement of the state’s water resources, including lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater, and drinking water sources.
The grant program specifically targets activities that protect or restore water quality or drinking water supplies. Eligible project types include clean water workshops, streambank protection, rain gardens, and more technical or infrastructural solutions like well sealing and stormwater filtration systems. Grants are available to non-governmental nonprofit organizations, federally recognized Tribal governments in Minnesota, the 1854 Treaty Authority, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Each applicant must request between $50,000 and $250,000, and a minimum 10% match from non-state sources is required, which can be provided in cash or in-kind.
Applications must be submitted via BWSR’s eLINK system, with the proposal window opening on May 5, 2025, and closing at 4:30 PM on August 5, 2025. Nonprofits are required to email supporting financial documentation—including the Pre-Award Nonprofit Form, IRS Form 990, and, if applicable, a certified financial audit—to BWSR.grants@state.mn.us by the same deadline. All grant-related inquiries should be directed to cwfquestions@state.mn.us with “Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant” in the subject line. Questions regarding eLINK should be emailed to elinksupport@state.mn.us.
The application process includes answering six specific narrative questions in eLINK, each with a 2,000-character limit, focusing on project outcomes, targeted water resources, activity plans, public benefits, partnerships, and financial capacity. Scoring is based on these responses with a 100-point rubric that weighs longevity and impact of proposed activities, readiness, partnership potential, and applicant performance history. Proposals not meeting minimum technical requirements or matching guidelines will not be considered.
Successful applicants will be notified of awards by October 2025, with grant agreements distributed by November 2025. The deadline to submit a work plan is December 31, 2025, and all agreements must be executed by January 31, 2026. The project period extends through December 31, 2027. Payment is made in three installments: 50% upon agreement execution, 40% upon mid-project reporting, and the final 10% upon project completion and financial reconciliation. Compliance with prevailing wage requirements and grant reporting policies is mandatory.
