OIA Maintenance Assistance Program 2026

The Office of Insular Affairs within the U.S. Department of the Interior administers the Maintenance Assistance Program to support infrastructure sustainability across U.S. insular areas. This program is authorized under federal law to provide technical and financial assistance that strengthens the long-term reliability of public infrastructure systems. The initiative focuses on extending the lifecycle of existing infrastructure assets rather than funding new construction, aligning with federal priorities around resilience, economic development, and operational efficiency in geographically isolated regions. The primary purpose of the program is to improve maintenance capacity and address critical repair needs in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the freely associated states including the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Funding supports activities such as workforce training, professional certifications, acquisition of specialized tools and equipment, deployment of temporary technical expertise, and implementation of maintenance management systems. Essential repairs to existing infrastructure are also allowable, provided they align with the program’s maintenance-focused scope. The program explicitly excludes several categories of expenditures, including new construction projects, salaries for existing staff, routine operating expenses, food and meal costs, and vehicles primarily used for transporting personnel. Infrastructure-related projects must comply with federal Buy America requirements where applicable. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which lowers barriers to participation for eligible applicants. However, applicants are advised that larger funding requests may face increased competition due to limited total program funding and the expected number of applicants. Eligible applicants include a wide range of non-federal entities such as local government units, hospitals, health centers, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations. International entities may also apply if their proposed projects directly benefit the eligible insular areas and comply with federal regulations. Judicial and legislative branches of local governments are excluded from eligibility. All applicants must register in SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier and complete Grants.gov registration prior to submission. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and include a comprehensive package of required documents. These include the SF-424 application form, appropriate budget forms depending on project type, a one-page project abstract, a detailed project narrative, and a budget narrative with justification of all costs. Additional components include audit documentation or financial capacity responses, disclosures related to lobbying if applicable, and optional letters of support. The project narrative must clearly define the problem, proposed activities, expected outcomes, performance metrics, and alignment with program priorities. The application deadline is June 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Following submission, applications undergo eligibility screening, merit review, and risk assessment. Evaluation criteria include clarity and feasibility of the project, budget appropriateness, alignment with program goals, reporting compliance history, audit timeliness, stakeholder support, and absence of exclusions in federal systems. Final award decisions are expected by September 30, 2026, with project periods anticipated to run from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2030. Awardees must comply with federal reporting and administrative requirements, including semi-annual performance and financial reporting. Additional obligations include environmental compliance reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and adherence to federal cost principles. The program is highly competitive and emphasizes measurable outcomes, strong planning, and alignment with regional and national priorities in infrastructure resilience and sustainability.

Ensure clear measurable outcomes; align project with infrastructure priorities; provide detailed and reasonable budget; include stakeholder support