F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round

Fish and Wildlife Service

Published: May 19, 2026

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Source: grants_gov

About This Opportunity

This is a grants contract in the environment and climate, agriculture and food security and urban development and housing sectors, with a focus on Fisheries, Biodiversity and Municipal Services. Located in United States, North America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of USD 25,000 – USD 2.3 million. Proposals must be submitted before October 31, 2026.

Published through Grants.gov, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for grants in the environment and climate sector. Grant applications generally require a detailed project proposal, a clear results framework, and evidence of the applicant's capacity to deliver the proposed activities. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive.

Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Base Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Competitive Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant

Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service

CFDA: 15.667

Eligible Applicants: Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies) as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.govIn FY 2026, $9,173,450 in Base funding is available for grants to Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Each State may request up to $2,293,362 in Base funding. The earliest anticipated project start date is January 1, 2026. Project periods will be no longer than 4 years from the date the grantee is notified of an award. Period of performance extensions may be considered under extenuating circumstances. If the funds are unspent when a grant closes and the HCA grant program is still actively funded, unspent funds will be returned to the program to be redistributed through the next Competitive Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity. If each of the four eligible States does not request the full $2,293,362 available, remaining funds will be distributed through either the concurrent or the next Competitive Grant Round Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Applicant Types: State governments

Cost Sharing: Yes

Contact: Fish and Wildlife Service

Email: Shelley_DiBona@ios.doi.gov

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from Grants.gov and was originally published on May 19, 2026. Last refreshed 16 days ago. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Fish and Wildlife Service

Fish and Wildlife Service has issued 19 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 15 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Environment & Climate, Water & Sanitation, and Agriculture & Food Security. All notices are published for United States. Notices are distributed via Grants.gov. Most recent publication: June 12, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

When does this tender close?

The submission deadline is October 31, 2026. You have 123 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Fish and Wildlife Service in United States. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Grants contract in the Environment & Climate sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is $25,000 - $2,293,362. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United States. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit Grants.gov to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.