Delaware Natural Resources Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, community groups, and homeowners' associations in Delaware for projects that improve water quality in developed areas through innovative and sustainable practices.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to U.S. states, territories, and eligible Indian tribes for implementing approved plans to prevent and manage invasive aquatic species.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofits for projects aimed at managing and controlling invasive and noxious plant species on public lands across the U.S.

The First State Food System Program (Program) provides funding to entities that grow, process, store, transport, distribute, or sell food in the State of Delaware. Donor Name: Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Delaware Department of Agriculture through its advisory group – the Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy (Council) strives to facilitate and support a local food system where farmers can access viable markets; Delaware households can access nutritious and wholesome food options within their own communities; and where the impacts of supply chain disruptions can be diminished. Through this Program funding is available to a diverse range of entities, operating at various points in the food supply chain. This Program enables local entities to overcome challenges and build resilience in food system. The First State Food System Program is funded through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act. Projects designed to support or provide benefit to more than one entity or producer within Delaware’s food system will be prioritized. The objective is to strengthen the local food system through wide-reaching and complementary efforts, rather than isolated and narrowly focused projects that serve to benefit only one individual operation.  Funding Information Using a standardized review process, the Council will award grants from $2,500 up to $150,000. Eligible Projects Applications will be evaluated based on the viability of the entity; its function and reach as part of the food system; and its demonstrated or potential capacity to do at least one of the following: Add to the volume of food production in Delaware. Add to the direct-to-consumer sale or availability of food products through retail or charitable outlets in Delaware. Add to activities used to transform food products from their harvested state to a consumable state for end users. Processing activities include: freezing, chopping, fermenting, packaging, washing, cooking, pasteurizing, canning, and more in Delaware. Add to the transportation or distribution of food products to consumer/end user outlets in Delaware. Improve efficiency and reduce costs of distribution systems. Improve capacity of food retail outlets including restaurants, to meet local demand. Improve flexibilities of food retail and distribution outlets to better align with consumer needs like online purchasing or food delivery. Address challenges to proximity through transportation solutions. Increase emerging agricultural practices by bringing food production into busy, populated areas – such as vertical gardens, shipping container farms, rooftop farming, hydroponics, community gardens, community composting, and food waste reduction. Eligibility Criteria General  Applicants that have been awarded funding during Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 may apply. The project must be new and distinct from an awarded project, or an addition or complement to an awarded project. (can include adding new partners, or new sites, or expanding market reach, etc.) Applicants must describe how the project positively impacts or creates measurable outcomes for Delaware’s food supply chain, including the entity and other entities or operations. The applicant must demonstrate/describe that the entity has the infrastructure in place and capacity to successfully implement the project. The applicant’s entity must be in operation for two or more years. Start-up entities will be considered when the operator provides a description of industry experience or when the start-up budget includes a contribution from the owner. The applicant’s entity must be a legal entity and have the legal capacity to enter into a project agreement with the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Eligible entities must be owned and operated in the State of Delaware and include small to mid-sized, for-profit producers and nonprofit organizations; aquaculture/fishery operators; food distributors or transporters; food processing operators. The Council reserves the right to consider applications from non-Delaware entities that directly provide product or services to Delaware. Applicants may submit more than one proposal. If more than one proposal is submitted, please prioritize the submissions. Producers  For the purposes of this Program, small to mid-sized producers are defined as having operations with 1) An annual value of sales between $20,000 and $300,000; and 2) Acres in active production in fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, or other products for human consumption; of up to 300 acres. Larger scale producers are eligible to apply and are encouraged to demonstrate collaboration with other producers or entities. Supply Chain Entities  The following are eligible supply chain operations, this list is not all inclusive, some examples are listed: Storage: food hubs Transportation: fleet coordinators, logistics Processing: incubator facilities, commercial kitchens Distribution: retail outlets, pantries, food trucks Single or multi-site grocery stores, Cooperative grocers, Corner stores, Mobile markets, restaurants, farmers markets, on-farm stores For more information, visit Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy.

This funding opportunity supports conservation projects that provide employment and training for young adults and veterans, helping them gain experience in environmental stewardship and resource management on public lands.

The Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Trails (ORPT) Program, formerly known as the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund (DTF), is a matching grant program assisting with public park land acquisition and outdoor recreation facility development in Delaware. Donor Name: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Eligible Projects ORPT grant assistance is available for the following types of projects: Fee simple acquisition of parkland, open space, or conservation areas Purchase of development rights for public parkland, open space, or conservation areas Replacement of outdated and unsafe outdoor facilities Outdoor recreation facility engineering and design Outdoor recreation facility construction for example: Athletic fields and courts Playground equipment Swimming pools Picnic tables and pavilions Park maps for information boards or kiosks Park infrastructure such as entrance roads, parking, restrooms, and way finding Municipal or countywide park/open space comprehensive plans Universal accessibility upgrades to outdoor recreation facilities Professional services for park master planning Eligibility Criteria County and municipal governments and park districts may request and receive ORPT grant assistance. Projects sponsored by municipalities and counties may receive up to fifty percent (50%) in ORPT assistance of an approved project’s total costs; park districts, municipalities that have not received ORPT funds in the past, and projects located in or serving Census Tracts identified as highest vulnerability by the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI score range 0.75 – 1.00) are eligible to receive up to seventy-five percent (75%) in ORPT assistance of an approved project’s total costs. The Sponsor may obtain its share through partnerships with other governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and other non-traditional recreation providers. Partnerships with other agencies and organizations are encouraged however, only the municipalities and counties are eligible to apply for ORPT assistance. For more information, visit DNREC.

This program provides funding to Delaware counties and municipalities for planning and engineering projects that improve water quality and manage stormwater effectively.

This funding program provides financial support to community-based organizations that empower youth aged 12 to 20 through established, youth-led urban greening initiatives focused on social and environmental justice in select states.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is now accepting proposals from Delaware county and municipal governments, conservation districts and estuary programs for matching grants for surface water project planning. Donor Name: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/21/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council (WIAC) developed the Surface Water Matching Planning Grant program to assist Delaware counties and municipalities improve water quality on the developed landscape in Delaware’s impaired watersheds.  The grants support planning, preliminary engineering, and feasibility analysis of surface water improvement projects and activities that focus on the developed landscape to improve water quality in impaired watersheds in Delaware. They can be used for a variety of projects, such as: Retrofitting stormwater systems Establishing green technology practices Restoring streams and wetlands Small watershed studies Developing master surface water and drainage plans The program is designed to assist counties and municipalities to prepare surface water projects for funding through Delaware Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Fund (WPCRLF). The available funding can be used to assist with surface water planning in general, and for specific project planning and designs necessary to submit a loan application to the WPCRLF for funding consideration. Program Goals Grant applicants should focus their proposals on one or more of the following program goals: Providing benefits to water quality within an impaired watershed Planning and/or preliminary design for projects associated with a watershed management plan Planning and/or preliminary design for community stormwater management improvements in existing developments and municipalities Restoration or retrofit projects to provide water quality benefits Funding Information Funding for projects receiving a grant award in any grant cycle will be capped at $50,000 with a 1:1 cash match requirement. Project Period The project shall not exceed 2 years. Eligibility Criteria Applicants may be any Delaware county or municipal government, conservation district, or Delaware estuary program. Applicants must have the matching funds available at the time of application. Non-profit organizations, educational institutions, community organizations, and/or homeowner’s associations within the State of Delaware that do not have taxing authority are ineligible to apply directly but may partner with an eligible applicant.  Agricultural operations, non-profit organizations, and private for-profit firms are not eligible for these funds. Interested parties may enter into working arrangement with eligible applicant. For more information, visit DNREC.

This funding initiative provides financial support to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and community groups in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for projects that promote green stormwater infrastructure and enhance urban green spaces.

This funding opportunity supports projects that enhance fish and wildlife habitats, improve water quality, and promote outdoor recreation within the Delaware River watershed, targeting nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and Tribal organizations.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that develop innovative resources and services to help adults in the middle or late stages of their careers with reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation, particularly those who are unemployed or underemployed.

This grant provides funding for various organizations in Delaware to support tree planting initiatives that enhance climate resilience and promote environmental justice.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small nonprofits and local governments in the Chesapeake Bay region to strengthen their organizational capacity and enhance community and environmental initiatives.