Springs Restoration Grant Program

The Springs Restoration Grant Program is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Project proposals are submitted to the department through the Protecting Florida Together online grants portal and are subsequently evaluated by the department and water management districts. The program is a recurring state grant intended to support projects that protect the quality and/or quantity of water from springs. For Fiscal Year 2026-27, 50 million dollars has been appropriated for the program, and additional funding may become available if previously awarded projects are cancelled or completed under budget. Eligible activities include land acquisition and capital projects that protect spring water quality or quantity. Examples identified by the department include Agricultural Best Management Practices, wastewater projects such as septic-to-sewer conversions, septic system upgrades and treatment facility upgrades, aquifer recharge, stormwater treatment, and other water quality and water quantity projects. For septic-to-sewer projects, eligible costs are limited to tangible conversion activities, including sewer construction, septic abandonment, lateral installation, and connection work performed by a licensed plumber or contractor. Impact fees, infrastructure fees, capital fees, and similar fees are not eligible. There is no required match for the program. However, local cost share is considered during project selection and becomes a reporting requirement if a project is selected. The department has not established a minimum or maximum amount that may be requested. The FAQ states that the majority of awards fall between 100,000 dollars and 5 million dollars, but this is not presented as a binding award floor or ceiling. The program may also use multi-year funding plans for projects that can be divided into phases or funded over several years. Higher-cost projects may have an increased chance of receiving funding if they can be placed on a multi-year plan, and applicants seeking this approach should clearly explain the phased structure in the project proposal. The FAQ does not identify specific applicant entity types such as governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, or individuals. Eligibility information in the document instead focuses on the types of projects and costs that may receive funding. There is no limit on the number of project proposals an applicant may submit. If a project is eligible for more than one grant program, a separate application should be submitted for each applicable program through ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/Grants. Springs Restoration Grant proposals must be submitted solely through the Protecting Florida Together online grants portal and may not be submitted through a Water Management District. A PDF version of the application questions will be made available alongside the webform for informational purposes, but the PDF may not be submitted in place of the webform. The FAQ does not provide the individual application questions, required narrative lengths, required attachments, or a stated application opening or closing date. Projects are evaluated by the department and water management districts, and the only specific project-selection consideration identified in the FAQ is local cost share. For septic-to-sewer projects, sewer connections must be required for the project to qualify for funding. When a funded project makes sewer service available to properties currently served by onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, notification must be provided concerning both the availability of sewer and the requirement to connect within 365 days of notification, consistent with section 381.00655, Florida Statutes. Proof of that notice is required under the grant agreement after construction is completed and before final reimbursement. The department has not established a date for announcing awards. Applicants may sign up through the Water Quality Dashboard Preference Center for award updates. Work completed before July 1, 2026 is not eligible for grant reimbursement. There is no fixed expiration date for the funding, although continued availability is contingent on annual legislative appropriation. Because the FAQ expressly describes the Springs Restoration Grant as a recurring state grant, future rounds are expected, but the document does not state an application deadline, application opening date, or fixed annual application month. No individual program contact name, email address, or telephone number is provided in the FAQ.

Local cost share is not required but is considered during project selection. Higher-cost projects may have an increased chance of funding when structured as a clearly explained multi-year phased plan. For septic-to-sewer projects, limit requested costs to tangible conversion activities, exclude impact or similar fees, and ensure sewer connections are required.