Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program competition for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026
Description
NRCS is announcing the availability of up to $52 million in Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) funding through One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Public Law 119-21 to create or enhance state and Tribal government programs that encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make that land available for access by the public for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation. VPA-HIP is a competitive grant program and only state and tribal governments may apply. Projects may be up to 3 years in duration. The maximum amount for a single award is $3 million. Up to 25% of the funding for each award may be used to provide incentives to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled public access program lands. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for information about steps required before submitting an application through Grants.gov.
Application deadline: Submit via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 8, 2026.
Agency: Jose Berna
Grants Specialist
CFDA: 10.093
Eligible Applicants: State government
Applicant Types: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Cost Sharing: No
Contact: Jose Berna
Grants Specialist
Email: Tessa.Garcia@usda.gov
About This Opportunity
This is a grants contract in the agriculture and food security, rural development and environment and climate sectors. Located in United States, North America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of USD 100,000 โ USD 3.0 million. Proposals must be submitted before June 8, 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 agriculture and food security 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.