Beaches Funding Program

The Beaches Funding Program is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through the Beach Management Funding Assistance Program. Florida established its comprehensive beach management planning approach after the Florida Legislature adopted a policy in 1986 supporting protection and restoration of the state's beaches. The program is authorized by Section 161.101, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 62B-36, Florida Administrative Code. It evaluates beach erosion problems and supports viable management solutions intended to protect upland structures and infrastructure, preserve critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, provide recreational opportunities, and support local economies through tourism. Financial assistance is available to eligible Florida local governments for planning and implementing beach and inlet management projects along the Gulf of America, Atlantic Ocean, or Straits of Florida. Eligible activities include beach restoration and nourishment, project design and engineering studies, environmental studies and monitoring, inlet management planning, inlet sand transfer, dune restoration, beach and inlet protection activities, and other beach erosion prevention activities that are consistent with the adopted Strategic Beach Management Plan. Projects must be accessible to the public, located on one of the identified coastal waters, designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a critically eroded beach, and consistent with the state's Strategic Beach Management Plan. Eligible applicants include Florida county and municipal governments, community development districts, and special taxing districts. The funding is provided on a cost-share basis rather than paying the full project cost. The Funding Eligibility section states that financial assistance of up to 50 percent of beach project costs and up to 75 percent of inlet project costs is available. Therefore, participating local governments must provide or secure the portion of eligible project costs not covered by state assistance. The program overview also describes grants to local governments of up to 75 percent of project costs, while the more specific eligibility information establishes the separate maximum state shares for beach and inlet projects. For the Local Government Funding Request for Fiscal Year 2027-28, application materials were available beginning June 1, 2026, and requests could be submitted through July 31, 2026. Applicants are directed to the Beaches Funding Assistance Information page to obtain application materials and instructions on how to apply. The supplied program information does not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement. It also does not provide specific application questions, required uploads, evaluation scoring criteria, award notification dates, or a defined project performance period, so those details cannot be established from the supplied source. The program has received substantial state support over time. Since 1998, the Florida Legislature has dedicated more than $1.55 billion from the Ecosystem Management and Restoration Trust Fund, Land Acquisition Trust Fund, and General Revenue for beach management, including nearly $315 million appropriated specifically for hurricane recovery projects. The source explains that funds have been cost-shared with local governments on local and federally authorized projects, with each level of government contributing about one-third of the cost of the entire program. This investment has resulted in restoration and subsequent maintenance of more than 264.6 miles, or 61 percent, of Florida's 432.5 miles of critically eroded beaches. Additional program documents, including Beach Management Plans, legislative funding requests and budget plans, project fund tracking information, and financial summary reports, are available through the Beaches Funding Documents website. Audit information is available through the Beaches Funding Audits website, while additional information concerning beaches and inlets is provided through the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection's Beaches Program. Program staff may be contacted at Beaches_Funding@FloridaDEP.gov. The supplied source also provides the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's general contact telephone number, 850-245-2118, but does not identify it specifically as the Beaches Funding Program telephone number. The supplied information establishes the June 1 through July 31, 2026 application window for Fiscal Year 2027-28 but does not explicitly state a recurring annual or other recurring application schedule.

Confirm that the project is publicly accessible, located on an eligible Florida coast, designated as a critically eroded beach, and consistent with the Strategic Beach Management Plan; identify whether the request is a beach or inlet project because the maximum state funding percentage differs.