FY26 Bureau of Land Management Threatened and Endangered Species - Bureau wide

The Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, is offering the Bureau of Land Management Threatened and Endangered Species - Bureau wide funding opportunity under Assistance Listing 15.246. The program supports conservation and recovery of endangered, threatened, and BLM Sensitive Species, collectively referred to as BLM Special Status Species, and their habitats. Its goals include implementing proactive conservation and recovery actions that support delisting or help prevent the need to list species, collecting information that supports conservation and recovery efforts, improving information used in permitting and ESA section 7(a)(2) consultations, and increasing public awareness of BLM Special Status Species. The program also emphasizes improving the efficiency of permitting and authorization processes and reducing regulatory burdens through species recovery, conservation, and improved scientific information. Projects may support on-the-ground conservation and recovery actions, habitat connectivity, targeted inventory and monitoring, research and improved knowledge concerning species and habitats, proactive species and habitat management, monitoring and evaluation of conservation efforts, improved ESA consultation processes, and outreach and public awareness. Every proposed project must state a benefit to the public. National priorities include streamlined ESA section 7(a)(2) consultation procedures and recovery and delisting through prioritized species, habitat areas, and ESA section 7(a)(1) actions. State and regional priorities vary and include habitat restoration, population and disease monitoring, genetic analysis, pollinator conservation, invasive species control, species inventories, habitat modeling, nest protection, telemetry, seed collection, and other conservation activities. Idaho, Utah, the National Interagency Fire Center, and the National Operations Center are not accepting applications under this opportunity. Infrastructure projects are subject to Buy America preferences. The program does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act through this NOFO. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. Individuals and for-profit organizations are ineligible. Cost sharing is not required. However, voluntary cost share and leveraging of resources may be considered a significant factor during review. If voluntary cost share is proposed, the applicant must identify the amount, source, and type of contribution and ensure the contributions comply with applicable Federal requirements. The estimated total program funding is $5,000,000, approximately 60 awards are expected, the award floor is $10,000, and the award ceiling is $1,000,000. Awards will be cooperative agreements, and BLM expects substantial involvement in funded projects. Applicants must maintain the required SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier and must use Grants.gov for submission. At least one organizational user must have Authorized Organization Representative authority because only an AOR may submit an application. Applicants create and complete a Grants.gov Workspace, review the application for errors, submit it through the Sign and Submit function, and confirm successful submission and Grants.gov validation. Applicants must not encrypt, zip, or password-protect application files. The application package requires the SF-424 from all applicants and the SF-424A for non-construction projects. The SF-LLL is conditionally required for certain applicants requesting more than $100,000. All applicants must provide a Project Abstract Summary covering the award purpose, activities, expected deliverables or outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and known subrecipient activities. Research projects also require the DOI Research and Development Current and Pending Other Support form and Biographical Sketch. The project narrative may be no longer than 15 pages, use a typeface no smaller than 11 point, and have margins of at least one inch. The page limit includes text, figures, references, and vitae but excludes the Budget Detail and DOI Research and Development attachments. Applicants must name the state where the project is located in the Grants.gov title. Narrative content may address the project title, statement of need, goals and objectives, public benefit and BLM program interest, technical approach, timetable or milestones, environmental compliance information, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation, key personnel, future funding needs, and project location. Applicants must also provide a budget narrative describing and justifying costs, including applicable indirect costs. The application must address actual or potential conflicts of interest and include an overlap or duplication of effort statement. Other supporting documentation may include personnel biographies, maps, eligibility documentation, references, letters of support or commitment, audit information, and negotiated indirect cost rate documentation. Applications first undergo eligibility screening for applicant eligibility, timely submission, completeness, mandatory requirements, responsiveness to program objectives, and compliance with applicable directives. Eligible proposals then receive merit review. Proposals are rated Exceeds, Meets, or Does not meet, with the highest importance placed on Statement of Need and Leveraging of Resources. Review considers the statement of need and relationship to program priorities, technical approach, public benefit and BLM program interest, applicant qualifications and past performance, and leveraging of resources. Budget review evaluates whether costs are correct, necessary, reasonable, allowable, allocable, adequately justified, and appropriately linked to the project narrative. DOI and BLM also conduct overlap, management, and applicant risk reviews before award. Risk assessment may consider financial management capabilities, project delivery experience, staffing, past award performance, reporting compliance, project complexity, and applicable SAM.gov information. The opportunity opened August 11, 2026, and applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by September 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Extensions to the NOFO closing date are not allowed. No separate pre-application gating deadline is stated. Applicants are encouraged to contact Grants Management Officer Stephanie Lund at stephanie_lund@ios.doi.gov or Threatened and Endangered Species Program Lead Casey Burns at ctburns@blm.gov before submission. Stephanie Lund's listed phone number is 303-916-1202. Grants.gov technical support is available at 1-800-518-4726 or Support@grants.gov. Final management review may take a few months. The anticipated project start date is December 31, 2026, and the anticipated project end date is December 30, 2031, although the NOFO also states that proposals will have a start date in FY2026 and a maximum end date of September 30, 2031. Award notices are issued electronically through GrantSolutions or email, and only a Notice of Federal Award signed by an authorized Grants Officer legally obligates Federal assistance.

Prioritize a strong Statement of Need and Leveraging of Resources because the NOFO identifies these as the most important merit considerations. Clearly connect activities to proactive conservation, recovery, delisting, preventing future listings, or improved ESA consultation efficiency. State a direct public benefit. Provide clear milestones, measurable outcomes, monitoring and evaluation methods, and an environmental compliance plan. Demonstrate relevant personnel qualifications and successful past performance. Explain how partnerships share resources and expertise. If voluntary cost share is proposed, identify its amount, source, and cash or in-kind type and ensure it is allowable, allocable, reasonable, and verifiable. Ensure every budget item is necessary, reasonable, allowable, allocable, justified, and linked to the project narrative. Include the state name in the Grants.gov application title. Submit through an authorized AOR, ensure the submission passes Grants.gov validation, and do not encrypt, zip, or password-protect files.